- For Print
- May 2, 2012
Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) announced today that its U.S. research subsidiary H3 Biomedicine Inc. (Location: Massachusetts, President & CEO: Markus Warmuth, “H3 Biomedicine”) has entered into a collaboration agreement with Horizon Discovery Limited (Location: Cambridge, the United Kingdom, President & CEO: Darrin M. Disley, “Horizon”), a leading provider of research tools to support the development of personalized medicines, to identify and validate a panel of novel cancer drug targets.
H3 Biomedicine integrates human cancer genomics with next generation synthetic organic chemistry and tumor biology capabilities to generate novel patient-based, genomics-driven cancer treatments. Under the agreement, H3 Biomedicine will carry out early target discovery aimed at discovering potential drug targets, while Horizon will implement its three proprietary core drug discovery tools－which comprise: rAAV (recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus)-mediated genome editing (GENESIS™) for precision functional genomics (endogenous gene knock-in and knock-outs); an expanding panel of 400+ X-MAN™(mutant and normal) human isogenic cell lines; and extensive cell-based assay development and drug profiling experience－to run alongside and support H3 Biomedicine's target validation and compound screening. The goal of the collaboration will be to rapidly come to definitive decisions on whether or not to progress novel targets into development.
The successful development of new personalized medicines depends upon well validated and characterized targets and clearly defined patients populations. For H3 Biomedicine, working collaboratively with Horizon, with its excellent core technologies, will enable the company to progress toward identifying the best possible targets for innovative, new drugs with the power to have meaningful therapeutic relevance, and realizing its goal of providing personalized medicines.
Under the terms of the agreement, H3 Biomedicine will have an exclusive option to acquire ownership of all program assets and intellectual property (IP) that relates to each of the target programs, with the exception of Horizon background IP. Horizon will retain commercial rights over any target program not optioned by H3 Biomedicine. H3 Biomedicine will also pay Horizon an initial upfront payment, with additional payments as pre-clinical and clinical milestones are reached.
Eisai shares the genetic science-based drug discovery vision upheld by H3 Biomedicine, and is committed to expediting the development of innovative cancer drugs that are even more precise and efficacious that existing treatments as it seeks to make contributions to cancer patients worldwide.
- *GENISIS and X-MAN are registered trademarks of Horizon Discovery Limited.
[ Please refer to the following notes for further information on Horizon Discovery Limited, H3 Biomedicine and Characteristics of Eisai Oncology ]
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Eisai Co., Ltd.
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< Notes to editors >
1. About Horizon Discovery Limited
Horizon Discovery Limited (Horizon) is a leading provider of research tools to support the development of personalized medicines. The Company's proprietary technology, GENESIS, is the world's most precise genome editing technology. Using GENESIS, Horizon is able to alter any endogenous gene sequence of a human or mammalian cell-line quickly, reliably and without introducing unwanted and confounding genotypes and/or phenotypes.
Horizon has harnessed GENESIS to create over 400 X-MAN cell lines, the world's first source of genetically-defined and patient-relevant human cell lines, accurately modeling the disease-causing mutations found in cancer patients. These ‘patients-in-a-test-tube‘ are being used by academic and industry leaders to identify the effect of individual genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, leading to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently-available and future drug treatments.
In addition to the X-MAN cell lines, Horizon provides GENESIS and X-MAN derived products and services, with industrial application in: bio-pharmaceutical process optimization; clinical diagnostic development; and drug discovery & development.
2. About H3 Biomedicine Inc.
H3 Biomedicine Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the discovery and development of cancer drugs to facilitate personalized medicine. The company seeks to develop therapies for drug targets that are expected to be highly efficacious in the treatment of certain cancers based on genetic information that defines it root cause.
1) 【Corporate Profile】
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| Company Name: | H3 Biomedicine Inc. |
| Location: | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| President and CEO: | Markus Warmuth, M.D. |
| Scope of Business: | Research and development of pharmaceutical products |
| Capital: | One million U.S. dollars |
| Date of Establishment: | December 13, 2010 |
| URL: | www.h3biomedicine.com |
2) Overview of H3 Biomedicine Drug Discovery Strategy
H3 Biomedicine's approach to drug discovery is based on two principles. The first principle is the identification of genetic candidates that define the root cause of the cancer by honing in on the genetics of patients' cancer and leveraging bioinformatics technology. After validating the function of the identified gene, target molecules for cancer treatment are selected and optimal assays are developed. The second principle involves the persistent pursuit of the correct target molecules even though they are considered challenging or “undruggable” using traditional drug discovery approaches. To achieve this end, H3 Biomedicine will utilize a next-generation synthesis technique known as Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (a synthesis technique that uses a natural substance as a structural motif to systematically and simply create a skeletally-diverse set of small molecules) to strike a balance between structural complexity and ease of synthesis as it seeks to create a unique library of skeletally and stereo-chemically diverse compounds. Furthermore, by prospectively using cancer patient genetics to swiftly and effectively conduct biomarker research and facilitate personalized medicine, H3 Biomedicine will shorten drug development time as it seeks to ensure the early delivery of innovative new drugs to patients battling cancer.
3. Characteristics of Eisai Oncology
Eisai defines oncology as a key area of therapeutic focus that is characterized by a diverse range of product creation activities, a commitment to women's oncology and an emphasis on the East Asia region. The company's product creation activities are focused on the discovery and development of naturally-derived, antibody, small molecule, and genome-based drugs. Eisai expects that H3 Biomedicine’s disciplined approach to drug discovery will help expedite the development of naturally-derived, antibody and small molecule drugs based on cutting-edge cancer genomics and improve its probability of success in this arena. In the field of women's oncology, Eisai is concentrating its efforts on the indication expansion of Halaven (Phase III: breast cancer with fewer prior treatments, etc.), farletuzumab (Phase III: ovarian cancer) and lenvatinib (Phase III: thyroid cancer; Phase II: endometrial cancer). In the East Asia region, Eisai is also expediting the development of anticancer agents to treat cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer.