Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Genzyme Molecular Oncology (Nasdaq: GZMO - news) today announced that it has granted Celera Genomics (NYSE: CRA - news) co-exclusive worldwide rights to market its proprietary SAGE(TM) (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) database to Celera customers. SAGE gene expression data will be offered through the Celera Discovery System, Celera's web-based, biological information portal. This agreement will allow customers to combine SAGE gene expression data with Celera's Genome Reference Database, providing them with a powerful means to more rapidly and efficiently move drug discovery forward by associating genes with tissues and disease states.
Under the agreement, Genzyme Molecular Oncology will license its SAGE Database to Celera for distribution through the Celera Discovery System on a revenue sharing basis. Genzyme Molecular Oncology will provide Celera with additional SAGE data as the expansion of the SAGE database continues. Further details were not disclosed.
``We are pleased that Celera has selected our SAGE database as one of their gene expression offerings,'' said Gail Maderis, president, Genzyme Molecular Oncology. ``Genzyme Molecular Oncology's license to Celera illustrates the value of our SAGE technology in the race to transform human genome data into valuable drug targets. Combining such extensive SAGE gene expression data with Celera's human genome data is a major step forward on the road to drug discovery.''
The proprietary SAGE database provided by Genzyme Molecular Oncology to Celera includes information on over 2.5 million gene sequences that have been identified and counted. The database covers a wide range of normal human tissues and the most prevalent types of cancer, and will be combined with publicly available SAGE data to provide customers with a comprehensive set of SAGE gene expression information.
``We are pleased to offer the SAGE database through the Celera Discovery System,'' said James Peck, Celera's senior vice president of Product Development. ``We believe this will be another important tool for our customer's drug discovery efforts in addition to the comprehensive genomic content and tools that Celera currently provides.''
The Celera Discovery System includes a comprehensive set of bioinformatics systems and tools for viewing, browsing, and analyzing genomic information. Celera's Genome Reference Database is a curated reference catalog of the genes, mRNAs, proteins and regulatory elements encoded in the human genome and in the genomes of other organisms important in understanding normal human physiology and mechanisms of disease. The core components of Celera's Genome Reference Database are human, Drosophila and mouse genomes sequenced by Celera. These data sets are integrated with more than 20 other reference databases and a suite of essential sequence analysis tools... |
