Gene Logic and Life Technologies, Inc. Collaborate to Provide Drug DevelopersFull-Length Sequences and Clones of Major Disease Genes
-- Expect to Complete the Most Relevant 5% of the Genes
of the Human Genome in the First Year --
GAITHERSBURG, Md. and ROCKVILLE, Md., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Gene Logic, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLGC), a leading provider of genomic information, and Life Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: LTEK), a major provider of reagents and technologies for life science research, today announced their collaboration to fully sequence and patent the large number of human disease and predictive toxicology genes identified using Gene Logic's GeneExpress(TM) 2000 Suite of databases. The companies expect to complete sequencing of and filing patents on approximately 5% of the genes in the human genome that offer the most promising gateways for new medicines against major diseases. The parties anticipate that the sequences of these genes, which Gene Logic intends to market as the CloneExpress(TM) Library, will be available to commercial users of Gene Logic's GeneExpress 2000 Suite of databases, and that such users will also be able to obtain full-length clones of genes of interest from Life Technologies through a click-through facility within the database. The agreement provides for appropriate sharing between the two companies of revenues generated by outputs resulting from this collaboration, including sales of clones and databases and licensing of intellectual property.
Over the last four years, Gene Logic has developed an industrial scale capability to determine how genes are expressed in normal and diseased human tissues and in experimental animals. The GeneExpress 2000 database is being built as the world's largest repository of information on how the 100,000 human genes behave in tens of thousands of human tissue samples obtained through Gene Logic's international network of clinical centers. In addition to providing access to this information to its customers under subscription agreements, Gene Logic is mining the GeneExpress 2000 database to identify the genes most closely associated with human diseases and drug action. The agreement provides that as genes are identified, they will be isolated by Life Technologies and sequenced and patented by Gene Logic. GeneExpress 2000 database users will be able to purchase the clones under subscriptions to the CloneExpress Library that includes licenses to this intellectual property for use in their drug development programs.
In the collaboration, Life Technologies plans to employ its proprietary full-length, normalized cDNA library technology, which enables the preparation of gene libraries in which a great majority of the genes are in the full-length form representative of their natural function. This includes use of technology covered by Life Technologies' recently issued reverse transcriptase patent. The collaboration will also take advantage of Life Technologies' proprietary, high-throughput methods to isolate specific gene targets from these libraries.
To facilitate these downstream research efforts, all clones produced under this collaboration incorporate Life Technologies' proprietary Gateway(TM) cloning technology, a new and highly efficient method for the rapid transfer of large numbers of genes into and out of multiple expression systems.
"This partnership is a unique combination of best-of-breed providers to add significant customer value to our product offerings. We are leveraging the proprietary data content in the GeneExpress 2000 database by enabling our subscribers to obtain the information and physical reagents necessary to jumpstart their discovery programs," said Mark D. Gessler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gene Logic. "Moreover, the existence of Gene Logic's strong intellectual property portfolio, based on comprehensive functional information about the roles of these genes in human disease, is being assembled to provide freedom to operate for our customers."
"Gene Logic has the capability to identify genes of medical interest to its customers," said Dr. J. Stark Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Life Technologies. "This collaboration will enable Life Technologies to isolate and deliver the corresponding full-length, Gateway- compatible clones that can accelerate further research and improve the prospects for capturing additional patent protection."
Life Technologies, Inc. Overview
Life Technologies, Inc. provides essential technologies needed by the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical communities. The Company manufactures and markets a breadth of offerings unique in the industry, used in applications of the life sciences discovery, development, and production process. The offerings range from catalog and custom products to technology licensing, research services, large-scale production, and life science technical expertise and support. With operations in more than 20 countries and distributor relationships in 40 more, the Company serves customers in universities, public and private research institutions, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Life Technologies: Essential Technologies for the Science of Life.
For more information about Life Technologies, Inc. visit the company Web site at www.lifetech.com .
Gene Logic Overview
Gene Logic Inc. is a leading provider of genomic information, enabling the discovery and development of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health care, and life science products through the systematic and industrialized application of genomics and bioinformatics. Gene Logic has built and is commercializing the world's most comprehensive survey of gene expression in human and animal tissues. Gene expression, which is the degree to which genes in a cell are switched on or off, or regulated, is information critical to understanding the functions of genes. Gene Logic markets two types of gene expression database products to the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health care and life science industries: its custom databases and related software products and its new GeneExpress 2000 reference database suite. The GeneExpress 2000 database suite can be used for a variety of research applications, such as to discover and validate novel drug targets, develop therapeutic compounds and facilitate clinical trials and patient management. Gene Logic has the flexibility of offering the data in different formats for customers requiring different levels of information, and pricing such versions optimally. Since the launch of the first commercial version of the GeneExpress database in November 1999, multiple pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have subscribed. Gene Logic believes its GeneExpress 2000 database suite will become a fundamental reference source of gene expression information for many scientists engaged in industrial and academic life sciences research.
Customers for Gene Logic's databases and data management software include: Aventis (formerly Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc.); Aventis CropScience (formerly Hoechst Schering AgrEvo GmbH); Fujisawa Pharmaceutical; Japan Tobacco; NeuralStem BioPharmaceuticals, Organon (Akzo Nobel); PE Biosystems; Pfizer; Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals; Schering-Plough Research Institute; SmithKline Beecham; Therapeutic Genomics; UCB Pharma; and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories (American Home Products).
For more information about Gene Logic, visit the company's Web site at www.genelogic.com .
Except for any historical information presented herein, matters presented in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the ability of both companies to achieve the technical goals of the collaboration, to generate sales of the product, to obtain patents, and to effectively market and promote the product, as well as certain other factors that are discussed from time to time in the two companies' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Gene Logic, Inc.
CO: Gene Logic, Inc.; Life Technologies, Inc.
ST: Maryland
IN: BIO
SU:
06/13/2000 06:00 EDT prnewswire.com |
