Xenogen's Biophotonic Imaging Technology Now Available to Broader Range of
Companies for Accelerating Drug Development
ALAMEDA, Calif., April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xenogen Corporation
(Nasdaq: XGEN) announced today a partnership with MIR Preclinical Services
(MIR), a contract research organization, for the purchase and sublicense of
Xenogen's biophotonic imaging, or real-time in vivo imaging, technologies.
MIR is now authorized to use Xenogen's proprietary technology to conduct pre-
clinical research for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, across a variety
of therapeutic areas excluding infectious diseases.
Under this first-of-its-kind agreement with a contract research
organization, MIR is purchasing one of Xenogen's biophotonic imaging systems
(IVIS(R) Imaging System) and licensing its patented methods of biophotonic
imaging. The partnership will expand the availability of Xenogen's technology
into pre-clinical drug development as a service, and provide a broader range
of companies with access to its biophotonic imaging technology.
"Xenogen's technology augments our portfolio of preclinical imaging
systems and solutions and helps us maintain a leadership position in the field
of Molecular Imaging," said Wilbur Leopold, Ph.D., president, MIR Preclinical
Services. "This unique non-invasive imaging technology essentially lights up
biological processes in animals, enabling us to identify and follow diseases
and drug function at the molecular level in vivo. The addition of Xenogen
technology will enhance our efforts to provide our clients with integrated and
simultaneous assessment of efficacy and mechanism of action
(pharmacodynamics), speeding the drug discovery process."
Xenogen's biophotonic technologies enable researchers -- for the first
time -- to visualize and track biological processes in living animals, non-
invasively and in real time, including analysis of gene function, the spread
of disease and the effects of a drug candidate throughout the system. With
it, researchers can better understand the mechanisms of action of diseases and
drugs.
"Biophotonic imaging technology is quickly becoming the new research
standard in drug development, illustrated by its adoption by leading biotech
and pharmaceutical companies," said Pamela R. Contag, Ph.D., president of
Xenogen Corporation. "Dr. Leopold's expertise in cancer drug discovery and
development that he gained with Parke-Davis and Pfizer prior to becoming the
president of MIR adds a new dimension to Xenogen's product offerings."
Xenogen holds exclusive patent rights to the essential methods for real-
time in vivo biophotonic imaging. The company incorporates into
microorganisms, cells and living animals the bioluminescent gene that makes a
firefly glow, which it uses as a biological tag to see what's happening inside
the animal (imaged with its IVIS Imaging System).
About Xenogen Corporation
Xenogen combines systems biology and low-light optical imaging to create
powerful new biophotonic imaging technology that advances the ability of
scientists to explore genes, proteins, pathogens and tumor cells in living
animals in real time, providing predictive data that is designed to
substantially improve the success rate in drug development. Xenogen
incorporates into living animals the bioluminescent gene that makes a firefly
glow and captures the resulting light using an ultra-sensitive camera and
sophisticated software. This biophotonic imaging technology creates images
and analyzes the data generated on cellular activity, gene expression, spread
of disease or the effect of a new drug candidate. Xenogen's biophotonic
imaging technology is used by leading academics and pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies to provide more accurate and previously unavailable
data intended to result in the ability to make more timely and cost-effective
decisions at every step in the drug development process.
Xenogen Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Xenogen, offers more
than 14 years of experience in the transgenic field, providing reliable,
genetically modified custom mouse models in short timelines. The company has
completed more than 2,000 transgenic and 600 gene targeting experiments, with
a greater than 95 percent success rate in delivering transgenic founder or
gene knockout lines to customers.
More information about Xenogen is available on the company's Web site at
http://www.xenogen.com. Xenogen(R), Living Image(R) and IVIS(R) are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Xenogen Corporation.
MIR Preclinical Services
MIR is a contract research organization specializing in the preclinical
evaluation of novel anti-cancer drug candidates. The company's management has
over 60 years of major pharma cancer drug discovery experience and is a leader
in the integration of traditional anti-cancer efficacy testing with clinically
relevant imaging services to provide new insights to drug discovery and
development. MIR offers a wide array of tumor models including human tumor
xenografts, syngeneic mouse and rat cancers, and oncogene-driven tumors in
transgenic mice. The company is unique in its ability to apply state of the
art non-invasive imaging modalities including magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), X-ray micro-CT, high resolution small animal PET, and now
bioluminescence/fluorescence imaging to visualize biological processes such as
signal transduction, apoptosis and angiogenesis. MIR's mission is to provide
its clients with an integrated correlation of efficacy with pharmacodynamics
(mechanism of action) directly translatable to clinical trial. More
information about MIR Preclinical Services is available on the company's Web
site at http://www.molecularimaging.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our
imaging products and technologies and their intended uses. These forward-
looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and
assumptions and are subject to many risks, uncertainties and unknown future
events that could cause actual results to differ materially. Actual use and
results of imaging products and technologies may differ materially from those
set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in our
business, including, without limitation: our ability to continue to deliver
our products on a timely basis; our ability to enforce our intellectual
property rights or operate without infringing or misappropriating the
proprietary rights of others; and other risk factors set forth in our filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For a discussion of these and
other factors that could impact the adoption and use of our imaging products
and technologies and cause them to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements, please refer to our recent filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent quarterly report
on Form 10-Q. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking
statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.
SOURCE Xenogen Corporation
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.xenogen.com
CONTACT:
investors, William A. Albright of Xenogen
Corporation, +1-510-291-6104; or press, Kelly McKenna of MS&L,
+1-415-364-3840, for Xenogen Corporation; or Dr. W.R. Leopold,
President of MIR Preclinical Services, +1-734-821-1063
|
