News Briefs

Invitrogen, Illumina announce oligo alliance

CARLSBAD, Calif.—Invitrogen Corp. and Illumina, Inc. announced in late December a collaboration that will expand Illumina's Oligator DNA synthesis technology and combine that capability with Invitrogen's sales, marketing and distribution channels.

Under the terms of the agreement, Invitrogen will invest $3.4 million in Illumina's San Diego facility to enable implementation of fourth-generation Oligator technology, extend the technology into tube-based oligo products and provide for transfer of the technology into two additional Invitrogen facilities outside North America. Over the next several quarters, the companies expect to move responsibility for sales, marketing and technical support to Invitrogen as Illumina builds its capability to manufacture tube-based oligos.

EMD to distribute Morphsys' Antibodies by Design

MADISON, Wis.—EMD Biosciences Inc., a supplier of tools for proteomics and disease pathway analysis, announced an addition to its catalog of research reagents: the first in vitro-derived, recombinant antibody. This antibody is targeted against human Cyclophilin A and is produced by MorphoSys' Antibodies by Design division, a German provider of rapid, high-throughput custom antibody reagent services.

MorphoSys' Antibodies by Design division produces the antibodies using its HuCAL GOLD library. EMD Biosciences and MorphoSys plan to introduce an entire line of recombinant HuCAL(R) antibodies in the near future to complement the more than 3,000 antibodies already offered by EMD Biosciences.

Cengent signs drug screening contract with Dynamis

SAN DIEGO—Cengent Therapeutics, a structure-guided drug discovery company, announced in late November it signed a Genes-To-Leads drug discovery contract with Dynamis Therapeutics Inc., a Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cengent will apply its proprietary platform lead identification technology, Genes-To-Leads, to screen for drug candidates against diabetes-related kidney and heart disease, blindness and neuropathy. The agreement includes up-front and milestone payments.

The proprietary drug target of Dynamis Therapeutics, Inc. is an enzyme that causes the formation of 3-deoxyglucosone. 3-deoxyglucosone is an adversely reactive molecule that causes the formation of free radicals and AGEs. Diabetics suffering from blindness and kidney disease have elevated levels regardless of glucose levels or caloric intake.