Sequana acquires drug-screening company, strengthens functional genomics capabilities.LA JOLLA La Jolla (lə hoi`yə), on the Pacific Ocean, S Calif., an uninc. district within the confines of San Diego; founded 1869. The beautiful ocean beaches, in particular La Jolla shores and Black's Beach, and sea-washed caves attract visitors and , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 1996--Sequana Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :SQNA) Wednesday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase NemaPharm Inc., a leader in the development and application of drug discovery technologies using the well-studied nematode nematode or roundworm Any of more than 15,000 named and many more unnamed species of worms in the class Nematoda (phylum Aschelminthes). Nematodes include plant and animal parasites and free-living forms found in soil, freshwater, saltwater, and even vinegar worm, C. elegans. Additionally, Sequana announced it has obtained, through separate agreements, exclusive access to novel technologies for the study of gene function in both the mouse and fruit fly, Drosophila Drosophila: see fruit fly. drosophila Any member of about 1,000 species in the dipteran genus Drosophila, commonly known as fruit flies but also called vinegar flies. Some species, particularly D. . The addition of these proprietary functional genomics capabilities provides for rapid identification and characterization of gene signaling pathways and augments Sequana's ability to translate gene discoveries into potential drug leads. The worm, mouse and fruit fly are well-developed and useful models for the study of human gene function. Each of these animals exhibits significant similarities to humans at the genetic, molecular and cellular levels, and it is clear that mechanisms that operate in these organisms also operate in man. Importantly, nearly all genes known to cause human disease have close counterparts in one or more of these organisms. By studying gene function in these model animals, Sequana expects to achieve a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause or predispose pre·dis·pose v. To make susceptible, as to a disease. individuals to common diseases. Using genes discovered in-house, as well as those found in other laboratories, Sequana plans to examine gene function, determine signaling pathways, and identify additional genes that interact with known disease genes. This critical information should help Sequana and its partners choose the best therapeutic intervention points in many common human diseases. With the acquisition of NemaPharm, Sequana gains access to proprietary technologies for the study of gene function in C. elegans, the most thoroughly known multi-cellular organism in terms of its anatomy, development, behavior and genetics. C. elegans is particularly easy to grow and maintain; a single self-fertilizing worm can produce one trillion genetically exact "copies" in just one month. Moreover, sequencing of the nematode genome is more advanced than that of any other multi-cellular organism and is scheduled for completion in 1998. NemaPharm has applied for patents on a powerful nematode-based screening method and on a novel family of genes that includes potential therapeutic targets. Sequana plans to employ NemaPharm's technologies to develop animal models of human disease and use them to identify new therapeutic targets. Using NemaPharm's proprietary NemaScreen(r) technology, Sequana also expects to develop novel high-throughput screens for therapeutic leads. NemaPharm has an existing agreement with IDUN Pharmaceuticals for IDUN's access to the NemaScreen(r) technology. NemaPharm, based in Cambridge, Mass., was founded in 1990 by Carl Johnson, Ph.D., formerly of Cambridge NeuroScience, and Robert Horvitz, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Institute Investigator and Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at Cambridge; coeducational; chartered 1861, opened 1865 in Boston, moved 1916. It has long been recognized as an outstanding technological institute and its Sloan School of Management has notable programs in business, . Dr. Horvitz is a leading authority on neurobiology Neurobiology Study of the development and function of the nervous system, with emphasis on how nerve cells generate and control behavior. The major goal of neurobiology is to explain at the molecular level how nerve cells differentiate and develop their , developmental biology Developmental biology A large field of investigation that includes the study of all changes associated with an organism as it progresses through the life cycle. The life cycles of all multicellular organisms exhibit many similarities. , human neurodegenerative diseases neurodegenerative diseases diseases characterized by neurodegeneration. Lesions are microscopic only but in chronic disease with massive involvement there may be grossly visible atrophy of affected nervous tissue. and C. elegans genetics. Dr. Johnson, a recognized expert in nematode neurobiology, genetics and the development of C. elegans-based drug discovery technologies, will implement Sequana's nematode strategy at a new laboratory facility in Cambridge. In the area of mouse genetics, Sequana plans to examine gene function in transgenic mice using high precision gene insertion technologies and high throughput gene inactivation inactivation /in·ac·ti·va·tion/ (in-ak?ti-va´shun) the destruction of biological activity, as of a virus, by the action of heat or other agent. technologies. These technologies, developed by Ted Choi, Ph.D. and others at GenPharm International, offer a superior method for developing animal models of human genetic diseases. Dr. Choi has joined Sequana on a full-time basis to direct the company's mouse transgenics trans·gen·ics n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The study of or methodology used to create transgenic animals or plants. program. The third component of Sequana's comprehensive functional genomics model involves the use of fruit fly models to examine gene function and gene expression. Sequana has entered into consulting agreements with Charles Zuker, Ph.D., and William McGinnis, Ph.D., two renowned Drosophila geneticists This is a list of people who have made notable contributions to genetics. The growth and development of genetics represents the work of many people. This list of geneticists is therefore by no means complete. Contributors of great distinction to genetics are not yet on the list. at the University of California, San Diego UCSD is consistently ranked among the top ten public universities for undergraduate education in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.[3] It is a Public Ivy. [1] For graduate studies, most of UCSD's Ph.D. , to serve as scientific advisors in the use of Drosophila as a model system. Initially, Sequana plans to focus on the function of certain human obesity genes. Dr. Zuker is best known for characterizing the gene signaling pathways in the Drosophila retina, and Dr. McGinnis, in addition to having developed numerous universally employed techniques for gene identification, was first to clone the HOX gene family involved in fly embryo development. "This acquisition and related agreements are important steps in Sequana's plan to implement a broad-based functional genomics strategy in 1996," said Kevin J. Kinsella, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Sequana. "The critical steps for commercializing gene discovery include determining gene function, elucidating gene pathways and selecting optimum targets for pharmacological intervention. Sequana's superior capabilities in this area should enable us to exploit not only our own gene discoveries, but also the growing number of uncharacterized genes in the public domain." "The joining of these functional genomics technologies provides Sequana with a comprehensive set of tools for elucidating human gene function, devising new screens, and discovering lead compounds," added Tim Harris, Ph.D., senior vice president, Research and Development, and chief technical officer at Sequana. Sequana Therapeutics is a leading genomics company that uses industrial-scale gene finding technologies and advanced biology to uncover the genetic basis for common human diseases. With gene discovery programs in asthma, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, manic depression, prostate cancer prostate cancer, cancer originating in the prostate gland. Prostate cancer is the leading malignancy in men in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in men. and other disease areas, Sequana is well-positioned to find disease-causing genes, determine their biological function, and translate gene discoveries into novel diagnostic and therapeutic products. -0- Note to Editors: For background information on Sequana, contact Bob Giargiari, associate director, investor relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. , Sequana Therapeutics, at 619/646-8313, or visit the company's corporate Web site at http://www.sequana.com. CONTACT: Sequana Therapeutics Inc., La Jolla Bob Giargiari, 619/646-8313 bob@sequana.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion