TIDMHZD
Horizon Discovery Group plc
18 December 2017
Horizon Discovery enters into agreement with Roche Diagnostics
to support the development of immunohistochemistry assays for
oncology
-- Horizon to develop and manufacture FFPE Reference Standards
that express NTRK fusion biomarkers
-- Standards to be derived from custom gene edited cell lines
-- Agreement builds upon Horizon's pre-existing partnership with Roche Diagnostics
Cambridge, UK, 18 December, 2017: Horizon Discovery Group plc
(LSE: HZD) ("Horizon" or "the Company"), a global leader in gene
editing and gene modulation technologies, today announces that it
has entered into an agreement with Roche Diagnostics to assist in
the development of immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays.
Under the terms of the agreement, Horizon will develop and
provide Reference Standard material expressing neurotrophic
tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion biomarkers. NTRK gene
rearrangements have recently emerged as promising targets for
cancer therapy, and a number of novel compounds have been developed
against the fusion proteins that arise from these molecular
alterations. Their effective application, however, depends upon the
accurate determination of the genotype of patients, which is
primarily carried out through IHC-based diagnostic testing.
Horizon's Reference Standards will be derived from cell lines
generated using the Company's industry-leading gene editing
platform to include knock-ins (KI) of NTRK 1,2 and 3 fusion cDNA
(each under the control of multiple promoters), to achieve low to
high levels of protein expression in selected cell lines. The cells
will be supplied in FFPE (formalin-fixed paraffin embedded) format,
thereby mimicking real patient samples for better control of
variability across the complete diagnostic workflow. The project is
expected to be completed within 12 months.
This agreement builds on the Horizon-Roche partnership announced
in September 2016, which comprised the development, manufacture and
commercialisation of cell line derivative materials for use as IHC
Reference Standards in cancer tissue diagnostics, to support the
development and validation of IHC assays.
Dr. Darrin M Disley, Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Discovery
Group, commented: "Horizon continues to establish itself as a
leading supporter of the development and validation of molecular
diagnostics by providing reliable and high quality reference
standards to assay developers. We are very pleased to announce this
agreement, further strengthening our ongoing partnership with
Roche, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside them as
they develop additional important diagnostic assays in areas of
significant need."
ENDS
About Horizon's Reference Standards:
There are many potential sources of variability that can lead to
molecular diagnostic tests providing erroneous results. Horizon's
Reference Standards offer a source of genetically defined,
quantitative, sustainable and independent third-party reference
material, critical to the validation and routine performance
monitoring of assays, providing an unprecedented level of control.
Horizon Reference Standards are available in a broad range of
formats, including Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) cell
line sections, purified genomic DNA (gDNA), and cell-free DNA
(cfDNA) on its own or spiked into synthetic plasma.
Glossary:
-- Assay: a laboratory procedure measuring the presence, amount,
or functional activity of a specific biomarker or analyte
-- Immunohistochemistry (IHC): the process of imaging antigens
(e.g. proteins) in by exploiting the principle of antibodies
binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues
-- Biomarker: a naturally occurring molecule, gene, or
characteristic by which a particular pathological or physiological
process or disease, can be identified
-- Fusion proteins: proteins created through the joining of two
or more genes that originally coded for separate proteins
-- Reference standard: a standardized substance (e.g. DNA,
protein) which is used as a measurement base or control for an
assay
For further information from Horizon Discovery Group plc, please
contact:
Horizon Discovery Group plc
Darrin Disley, Chief Executive Officer
Richard Vellacott, Chief Financial Officer
Chris Claxton, VP Investor Relations
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 655 580
Numis Securities Limited (Broker and NOMAD)
Michael Meade / Freddie Barnfield
Tel: +44 (0) 207 260 1000
Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor
Relations)
Mary-Jane Elliott / Matthew Neal / Melissa Gardiner
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701
Email: horizon@consilium-comms.com
Zyme Communications (Trade and Regional Media)
Katie Odgaard
Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947
Email: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
About Horizon Discovery Group plc www.horizondiscovery.com
Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon") is a world
leader in gene editing and gene modulation technologies. Horizon
designs and engineers cells using its translational genomics
platform, a highly precise and flexible suite of DNA editing tools
(rAAV, ZFN, CRISPR and Transposon) and, following the acquisition
of Dharmacon, Inc., its functional genomics platform comprising
gene knockdown (RNAi) and gene expression (cDNA, ORF) tools, for
research and clinical applications that advance human health.
Horizon's platforms and capabilities enable researchers to alter
almost any gene or modulate its function in human or mammalian cell
lines.
Horizon offers an extensive range of catalogue products and
related research services to support a greater understanding of the
function of genes across all species and the genetic drivers of
human disease and the development of personalised molecular, cell
and gene therapies. These have been adopted by over 10,000
academic, drug discovery, drug manufacturing and clinical
diagnostics customers around the globe, as well as in the Company's
own R&D pipeline.
Horizon is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the
London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "HZD."
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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December 18, 2017 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)
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