Advancell and Medplant will validate and commercialize a Toxicogenomics platform to predict hepatic, renal and cardiac toxicities in vitro"

The companies will codevelop, validate and commercialise a Toxicogenomics platform based on the analysis of changes of gene expression profiles in vitro" in rat and human hepatic, renal and cardiac models.

Press Release
SOURCE: Advanced In Vitro Cell Technologies, S.L. and Medplant Genetics S.L.

Advancell and Medplant announce a collaborative agreement to validate and commercialize a Toxicogenomics platform to predict hepatic, renal and cardiac toxicities in vitro"

BARCELONA, November 15th. Advanced In Vitro Cell Technologies SL (Advancell) and Medplant Genetics S.L (Medplant) announced today an agreement to codevelop, validate and commercialise a Toxicogenomics platform based on the analysis of changes of gene expression profiles in vitro" in rat and human hepatic, renal and cardiac models. The companies announced the immediate launching of the hepatic Toxicogenomics platform, whereas a joint development program will validate the renal and cardiac platforms during 2003. The companies aim to build an experimental database which will provide a rational framework for the interpretation of the results obtained with new compounds.
We are very pleased of this collaboration with Medplant, which allows us to apply our expertise and our models to the promising field of Toxicogenomics, specially in the hepatic area, where good early predictors should save a considerable amount of resources and time during development", explained Luis Ruiz-Avila Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer of Advancell.
The development of this platform demonstrates that we have been able to export Genomics and Proteomics technologies from the academic environment to immediate applications in the Drug Development process. We are offering to our clients in the Pharmaceutical industry a complete package with an intelligent" output, adding value, in terms of pharmaceutical meaning, to the plain cloud of genes that result to be up and down -- regulated after drug administration" said Laureano Simon Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer of Medplant Genetics.

About Advancell
Advanced In Vitro Cell Technologies (Advancell) is a biotech company established at the privileged setting of the Barcelona Science Park. The company spun-off from the Universities of Barcelona and Valencia in 2001, and provides research services and screening platforms in cancer, skin biology, skin care, ADMET, inflammation and biocompatibility. The company has established an extensive network of academic collaborators that allows a great flexibility in a la carte" exploratory research. Current strategic cooperation agreements enable Advancell to access a wide variety of techniques related to early preclinical research. Advancell is building a portfolio of platform technologies and early stage developments based on its privileged access to academic research. Advancell will have a staff of 20, most of them with advanced degrees, by the end of 2002. (www.advancell.net)

About Medplant

Medplant Genetics was established in April 2000 as a Functional Genomics company. The activities of Medplant are focused on the identification and validation of genes and proteins as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Medplant laboratories are equipped with the general instruments of a Molecular Biology Laboratory and the cutting-edge technologies that are currently applied to Functional Genomics, including i) the equipment necessary to prepare, analyse and mine the data of its own DNA arrays with automated procedures, and ii) the GeneChip system to analyse and mine the data obtained with Affymetrix-manufactured microarrays.
Medplant aims to achieve a leading position within the European Post-Genomics market. In this highly competitive market a great effort is being made in terms of innovation and also with regards to the acquisition of human and technological resources. Medplant's strategy is aimed at improving current R&D lines and establishing alliances with related companies, Academic and Health-Care Institutions. Medplant has recently founded Proteomika, a subsidiary company at the Barcelona Science Park. The aim of Proteomika is complete Medplant current R&D lines and deliver the highest level of research and development capabilities to pharmaceutical and academic clients in the rapidly evolving field of Proteomics.