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Paris, France - Hybrigenics, the functional proteomics company, and Institut Pasteur announced today that they have signed an exclusive collaboration in the field of functional proteomics applied to Infectious Diseases.
This agreement extends the scientific alliance between Hybrigenics and Institut Pasteur that had been launched in 1998. The new agreement provides an expanded framework for collaborations between Hybrigenics scientists and Institut Pasteur research teams to validate therapeutic targets to discover novel treatments for Infectious Diseases. The new agreement also grants Hybrigenics exclusive rights to exploit the results derived from the collaboration.
Since 1998, Hybrigenics and Institut Pasteur have been working in close collaboration for technology development programs as well in several therapeutic fields. According the terms of the alliance, Institut Pasteur licensed rights on proprietary functional proteomics technologies to Hybrigenics, granted Hybrigenics a right of first information on the specific domain of protein-protein interactions.
Since then Hybrigenics has successfully developed, industrialized and integrated the licensed technologies in its functional proteomics-centered target identification and validation technology platforms, including development of cutting-edge bioinformatics capabilities.
These technologies have been used in several collaborations formed in the framework of the alliance and combined with the biological expertise of Institut Pasteur's team, have led in most of the cases to the joint publication of 6 articles in prestigious scientific reviews and the filing of 5 joint patent applications. Among the most prominent scientific results of the partnership were the joint publication of the first protein interaction map of a human bacterial pathogen (Helicobacter pylori) in Nature (1) and of the cellular validation of a bacterial target in Molecular Microbiology (2). In the field of hepatitis C, a patent application was filed and an article was published in Gene(3).
A number of ongoing scientific projects have also been established between Hybrigenics and Institut Pasteur including external partners (for example GenoStar in the field of bioinformatics) and supported by French governmental grants (e.g. Genopole projects), AIDS Agency (HIV host-pathogen relationship) or the European Community (Rnomics program on yeast genetics).
The reinforcement and extension of the alliance shows a renewal of the trust that the partners show each other for the past and forthcoming collaboration. This alliance supports more strongly Hybrigenics' efforts of in the field of microbial programs and providing Institut Pasteur with new high quality proteomic information.
"Research pursued in this collaboration will make possible wholly new antiinfectives, and make new advances in treating some of the most prevalent and destructive diseases in the world," said Dr. Donny Strosberg, CEO of Hybrigenics. We are gratified by the support of Institut Pasteur."
" Institut Pasteur is a top international player in the domain of research applied to infectious diseases. This alliance will strengthen Institut Pasteur to identify new genes of interest and to validate them biologically. We are more than pleased to continue to partner with Hybrigenics." said Pr Philippe Kourilsky, President of Institut Pasteur.
(1 ) Rain JC., Selig L., De Reuse H., Battaglia
V., Reverdy C., Simon S., Lenzen G., Petel F., Wojcik J., Schächter
V., Chemama Y., Labigne A. & Legrain P. (2001) The protein-protein interaction
map of Helicobacter pylori. Nature 409:211-215.
(2) Colland F., Rain J-C, Gounon P., Labigne A., Legrain P. and De Reuse
H.(2001) Identification of the helicobacter pylori anti-s28 factor, Molecular
Microbiology, 41, p477-487.
(3) Flajolet M., Rotondo G., Daviet L., Bergametti F., Inshauspé
G., Tiollais P., Transy C. and Legrain P. (2000) "A genomic approach
of the hepatitis C virus generates a protein interaction map" Gene
242 369-379.
Note to Editors
- Hybrigenics
is a functional proteomics company that identifies and validates new drug
targets and therapeutic molecules via protein interaction mapping. As a
key player in the post-genomics era, the Company's objective is to elucidate
protein functions as part of specific biological complexes or as networks
of interacting proteins (so called "pathways"). Because most drugs
act on proteins or are themselves proteins, Hybrigenics' approach shortens
the path between genomics and drug development.
The Company has developed integrated biological experiment-based and in
silico-based technology platforms that allow target identification, selection,
prioritization and validation of therapeutic targets.
Hybrigenics' strategy is to use these platforms on an industrial scale to
discover and validate novel targets for biopharmaceutical companies and
to build a pipeline of proprietary biomarkers, small molecules and antibody
drug products.
Hybrigenics has a well-balanced business model, combining partnership with
biopharmaceutical companies in any disease area and in-house Research and
Development programs. Those programs are focused on specific disease areas
including: infectious diseases (viral and bacterial), cancer and metabolic
disorders.
The company has alliances with Lynx Therapeutics Inc. (Obesity and Diabetes),
Oxford Glycosciences (Cancer and CNS), Servier (Cancer), XTL Biopharmaceuticals
Ltd. (Hepatitis C), Institut Pasteur (Infectious diseases), Institut Curie
(Development and Cancer) and with the French AIDS Agency (ANRS).
- The Institut
Pasteur is a private, non profit organization , fouded in 1887 after
Louis Pasteur had successfully developed his vaccine against rabies. Since
its founding the Institut Pasteur has always had three major vocations:
biological research, mainly focused on infectious diseases, public health
applications and teaching. More than a thousand scientists are working in
122 research units and laboratories on the campus of the Institut Pasteur
.
Research on infectious diseases represents about half of the scientific
work carried out at the Institut Pasteur. Biomedical research is also focused
on non infectious diseases: allergies, genetic diseases , brain disorders
and some cancers.
Since September 1999, the Institut Pasteur is part of the national network
of genopoles started by the French Ministry of Research and Technology.
Several teams specialized in the study of model or pathogenic organisms
are committed in completely sequencing these organisms genomes and exploring
structure and gene function in a large scale.
Contacts
- Hybrigenics
Communications : Corinne Pannier, Tel: +33 1 58 10 38 24, Fax: +33 1 58
10 38 24
cpannier@hybrigenics.fr
Communications for Europe : HCC De Facto Group
Valerie Auffray
David Dible , Tel: +44 207 496 33 00
v.auffray@hccdefacto.com
Communications for the USA :Steinerman BioMedical
Peter Steinerman, Tel: +1 (516) 374 30 31
PRSteinerman@cs.com
- Institut Pasteur
Press Relations : Nadine Peyrolo, Tel: +33 1 45 68 81 47, Fax: +33 1 40
61 30 30
presse@pasteur.fr