Re: Symposium
May 21 2007 - 8:52AM
RNS Non-Regulatory
Amphion Innovations PLC
21 May 2007
APPLIED GENOMICS PAVES THE WAY FOR IMPROVED
PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF DISEASE
Amphion Innovations plc Symposium
Highlights "Building Market Value From The World Of Genetics"
New York, May 21, 2007-Leading authorities from the world of genetics
highlighted important new research, products and trends at Amphion Innovations
plc "Building Market Value From The World Of Genetics" symposium in New York
City on May 15th. Amphion Innovations plc (LSE: AMP), a builder of companies in
life sciences and technology, brought together world-class expertise from its
Partner Companies to shed light on new developments that will help cure disease
while building value for shareholders.
The event, first in an annual series of Amphion symposiums, drew more than 100
scientists, business leaders and investors interested in learning how applied
genomics are paving the way for discoveries, in clinical medicine,
pharmaceuticals and nutrition, which were not possible a decade ago.
"We live during a breakthrough period in the understanding of genetics," said
Richard C.E. Morgan, Amphion's chief executive officer. "The marketplace is
eager to see exciting new discoveries translated into commercial diagnostics,
treatments, and products that help people to live longer, more productive lives.
Amphion's Partner Companies, supported by our company building expertise, are
able to leverage these discoveries to improve the prevention, detection, and
treatment of diseases ranging from diabetes and obesity to chronic inflammation
and deadly infections."
Morgan introduced a panel of Amphion Partner Company speakers who demonstrated
how their companies have applied genomics to improve and save lives while
creating value for shareholders:
* Dr. David Denning, CEO, Myconostica, Ltd. Dr. Denning is one of the
world's leading experts on fungal infections. He currently leads an
international consortium sequencing the aspergillus fumigatus genome and is
also a clinician at Wytheshawe Hospital in Manchester, UK.
* Mr. Zaki Hosny, CEO, Motif BioSciences, Inc. Mr. Hosny has more than 35
years in the global pharmaceutical industry working for Merck & Co. He has
held senior management positions in the United States and several European
countries in general management, marketing and government relations.
* Dr. Kathleen Mullinix, CEO WellGen, Inc. Dr. Mullinix has served as the
Vice Provost of Columbia University and has held two leadership positions at
the National Institute of Health. Prior to joining WellGen, she founded
Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corp.
Dr. Denning made the following points:
* Sequencing fungi provides insight into the basic biology of organisms as
well as wider aspects of biology, and it has commercial value by
enabling production of useful compounds, such as citric acid. Further, it
helps to identify new genes for drug targets as well as enabling rapid
disease detection.
* Rapid detection of infectious diseases is often the difference
between life and death. With the rapid detection of infections provided by
Myconostica's products, mortality rates can be reduced by as much as 25%.
* By extracting DNA and putting it into contact with a proprietary
molecular probe, Myconostica's test will be able to detect deadly infections
in fewer than four hours. The total market for the company's tests for
lethal respiratory infections and candida could exceed $2 billion per year.
Mr. Hosny made the following points:
* Pharmaceutical companies are facing a huge challenge as more than
half of the top 100 selling drugs will soon come off patent.
* Population genetics is being used to effectively isolate certain
mutations that put people at risk for heart disease, type-2 diabetes and
autism. The stakes for genetically validated drug targeting are extremely
high as it costs more than $1 billion to bring a new drug to market.
* By collecting and analyzing data from the homogenous populations of
the Arabian Gulf region, Motif BioSciences is able to quickly identify
patterns in mutation that, barring an impossibly high sample size, would not
be visible by studying more diverse populations.
Dr. Mullinix made the following points:
* There is astronomical growth in the functional foods market. It is an $80
billion industry and growing as brands like Hershey, Nestle and Minute Made
are all marketing hugely successful functional food products that promote
health and wellness.
* Nutrigenomics, a science examining how certain food compounds affect gene
expression, is the next frontier in functional foods because it can help
answer the food industry's calls for increased innovation.
* With proprietary food ingredients and a platform for screening natural
food byproducts for their effect on gene expression, WellGen is unique in
its ability to help companies bring innovative products to market faster.
For more information on the subject matter that was discussed at the symposium,
or if you would like more information on Amphion Innovations and its Partner
Companies, please contact Josh Berkman or Nicole Allen at 646-747-7158 or
646-747-7161, respectively. Email: jberkman@kwitco.com/nallen@kwitco.com.
About Amphion Innovations plc
Amphion Innovations plc is listed on the AIM Exchange in London under the symbol
AMP. Amphion's business is the formation, financing, management and development
of life sciences and technology companies, primarily in the US and UK, working
in partnership with corporations, governments, universities and entrepreneurs
seeking to commercialize their intellectual property. Amphion's management team
has built more than 30 companies in 20 years, all of which have achieved value
in excess of $120 million.
On the web: www.amphionplc.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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