June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Genzyme Molecular Oncology (Nasdaq: GZMO - news) and Medical Molecular Research Cologne (MEMOREC) announced today that MEMOREC has licensed the patented SAGE(TM) (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) technology from Genzyme Molecular Oncology.
MEMOREC will make the SAGE technology available to customers in Europe, including pharmaceutical, consumer care, biotechnology and agricultural companies. MEMOREC will offer a complete range of SAGE services, including RNA preparation, library construction, sequencing of SAGE transcripts, bioinformatics analysis, and target validation.
``This agreement demonstrates the broad and growing interest in SAGE,'' said Gail Maderis, president of Genzyme Molecular Oncology. ``SAGE is an important part of our own therapeutic discovery efforts in oncology, and we will continue to license SAGE so that we can generate revenues to support development of our cancer therapies.''
Boris Stoffel, chief executive officer of MEMOREC, said, ``As gene sequences are becoming available for most or all of the genes in many organisms, the focus of research is shifting from the identification of genes to the elucidation of their function. SAGE will allow us to provide insights into gene function and genetic pathways, providing drug or diagnostic targets for our customers.''
SAGE is a powerful analytical tool which can be used in a wide variety of applications such as identifying disease-related genes, analyzing the effects of drugs on tissues, and providing insight into disease pathways. SAGE is an integral part of Genzyme Molecular Oncology's therapeutic discovery efforts with particular emphasis on the identification of novel tumor antigens and inhibitors of angiogenesis.
At MEMOREC, SAGE is being used as a gene discovery tool to identify neuroprotective genes and metabolic pathway regulators, in association with MEMOREC's drug target validation program. The power of SAGE, coupled with MEMOREC's technical expertise, offers European customers opportunities for high-throughput and cost-effective gene expression analysis.
Genzyme Molecular Oncology, a division of Genzyme Corporation, is developing a new generation of cancer products focusing on cancer vaccines and angiogenesis inhibitors. It is shaping these new therapies through the integration of its genomics, gene and cell therapy, small-molecule drug discovery, and protein therapeutic capabilities.
MEMOREC, founded in 1997, is an expanding European biotechnology company focused on drug target discovery and gene expression profiling. MEMOREC's research and development programs aim to identify and validate novel targets in complex multi-factorial diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, stroke and brain tumours, for the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics. |
