EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cambrex
Corporation (NYSE: CBM) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Cambrex Bio
Science Wokingham, Ltd. has signed an agreement for the purchase of
conditionally immortalized cell lines, related intellectual property and
equipment of Xcellsyz Limited, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Cambrex
Bio Science Walkersville, Inc., also a subsidiary of Cambrex, has entered into
license agreements for Geron Corporation's (Nasdaq: GERN) proprietary
telomerase technology and complementary conditional immortalization technology
from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR). Detailed financial
terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000613/CAMBREXLOGO )
This powerful combination of technologies for drug discovery will allow
Cambrex to conditionally immortalize a broad set of cell types critical to
understand and manage metabolic disease: muscle cells for diabetes; adipose
cells for obesity; endothelial cells for heart disease; hepatocytes for
toxicology studies. Conditionally immortalized cells can be generated in
volumes sufficient for high throughput screening (HTS), are homogenous and
express normal markers similar to primary cells, thus managing the key
limitations of primary cells in drug discovery.
To discover a new drug, researchers must evaluate a large number of
compounds for efficacy and toxicity. High throughput screening techniques are
frequently used to evaluate a large number of compounds quickly in a relevant
cell model. Primary cells (non-immortalized) can be used and best represent
normal physiology, but are typically not available in the large, uniform
quantities needed for high throughput applications. Conventionally
immortalized cells can divide indefinitely into large homogeneous cell
populations needed for high throughput screening, but do not behave like
normal cells. Conditional immortalization using telomerized cells and the LICR
technology allows cells to divide indefinitely, retain normal function and
appearance, and produce uniform cell populations for functional cell-based
assays and long-term gene expression studies.
"These technologies allow us immediate entry into a new segment of the
drug discovery market with cell strains already under evaluation with several
key customers," commented Dave Eansor, President, Bioproducts. "The licenses
enable us to continue developing new cell models critical to the advancement
of drug discovery, management of metabolic disease and further penetrate the
rapidly growing cell-based screening market."
For more information on Cambrex cell lines, please contact: D.G.
Ferneyhough, Segment Manager, Cell Biology, 301-898-7025, extension 2417,
d.ferneyhough@cambrex.com.
About Geron Corporation
Geron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and
commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer based on its
telomerase technology and cell-based therapeutics using its human embryonic
stem cell technology. For more information, please visit their website at
http://www.geron.com/.
About Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) is the largest
international academic institute dedicated to understanding and controlling
cancer. LICR has developed an impressive portfolio of reagents, knowledge,
expertise, and intellectual property, and has also assembled the personnel,
facilities, and practices necessary to patent, clinically evaluate, license,
and thus translate, the most promising aspects of its own laboratory research.
For more information, please visit their website at http://www.licr.org/.
About Xcellsyz Limited
Xcellsyz was focused on drug discovery using its novel human cell-based
platform technology. Xcellsyz will now concentrate on collaborative
development and licensing of its early-stage drug pipeline of ATP-competitive
inhibitors of GSK-3, Rho-kinase II (ROCK II) and p70s6 kinase from its base in
Newcastle, UK. For more information see http://www.xcellsyz.com.
About Cambrex Bio Science Walkersville and Wokingham
Subsidiaries of Cambrex Corporation are leading providers of normal human
cells systems; research and therapeutic media; cell therapy services;
endotoxin detection products, services and software; electrophoresis and
chromatography products; products and services for rapid testing, including
custom assay development; regulatory services; and therapeutic
commercialization solutions.
About Cambrex Corporation
Cambrex is a global, diversified life science company dedicated to
providing high quality products and services that accelerate the development
and commercialization of human therapeutics. The Company employs
approximately 1900 worldwide. For more information, please visit our website
at http://www.cambrex.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Rule 3B-6 under
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements
regarding expected performance, especially expectations with respect to sales,
research and development expenditures, earnings per share, capital
expenditures, acquisitions, divestitures, collaborations, or other expansion
opportunities. These statements may be identified by the fact that words such
as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "believes" or similar
expressions are used in connection with any discussion of future financial and
operating performance. The forward-looking statements contained herein are
based on current plans and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current
expectations including but not limited to, global economic trends,
pharmaceutical outsourcing trends, competitive pricing or product
developments, government legislation and/or regulations (particularly
environmental issues), tax rate, technology, manufacturing and legal issues,
unfavorable results shipments, changes in foreign exchange rates, performance
of minority investments, un-collectable receivables, loss on disposition of
assets, cancellation or delays in renewal of contracts, and lack of suitable
raw materials or packaging materials. For further details and a discussion of
these and other risks and uncertainties, investors are cautioned to review the
Cambrex Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the Forward-Looking Statement
and Risk Factors That May Impact Future Results sections therein, and other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes
no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Cambrex Corporation
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.cambrex.com
http://www.xcellsyz.com http://www.geron.com
http://www.licr.org
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000613/CAMBREXLOGO
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/134219.html
CONTACT:
Anne-Marie Hess, Director Investor Relations
& Corporate Communications of Cambrex Corporation,
+1-201-804-3062, or annemarie.hess@cambrex.com
|
