Lexicon Genetics Announces It Has Altered Over One-Third of the Genes in the Mouse Genome, an Important Milestone for Human Drug Discovery - Gene Trap Technology Will Rapidly Saturate the Mouse Genome -
TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2000 7:31 AM
- PRNewswire
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Jun 20, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Lexicon Genetics Incorporated (Nasdaq:LEXG) announced that it has altered over one-third of all genes in the mouse genome for use in human drug discovery, a major milestone in its OmniBank(R) functional genomics operations. With the high degree of genetic similarity between the mouse and human, knockout mice will be used to unlock valuable information from the human genome for drug discovery. Some of these knockout-validated genes may encode therapeutic proteins themselves, therefore dramatically accelerating the drug discovery timeline.
"We are creating the world's largest collection of knockout mouse clones. These knockouts are the key to discovering how the genes work in living mammalian systems and are being used by Lexicon and its partners to identify which genes are valuable for drug discovery to treat human disease," said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., Lexicon's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe that knockout-validated genes will become the gold standard for all drug development in the post genome era."
With the imminent completion of the human genome sequencing project, the genomics race is now turning to determining how the genes function. While Celera Genomics' (NYSE:CRA) recent sequencing of one billion base pairs of mouse genomic DNA underscores the critical role of the mouse in drug discovery, mouse or human genomic sequence alone does not enable the determination of gene function. Lexicon's OmniBank, by contrast, now contains over 75,000 mouse clones that can provide the key to understanding how genes work in living organisms and which ones have the potential for pharmaceutical product development.
Lexicon uses its proprietary technologies to rapidly generate and analyze knockout mice in order to discover knockout-validated genes for pharmaceutical product development. Currently, hundreds of Lexicon's top priority knockout mice are being evaluated to identify optimal targets for drug discovery or to find genes that encode therapeutic proteins, which may themselves be used as drugs. Families of genes encoding novel receptors, ion channels, proteases, kinases, and secreted proteins are included as knockouts in Lexicon's drug discovery programs. Such gene families are thought to be of the highest potential commercial value since most drugs act through genes in those categories. Lexicon has developed internal drug discovery programs in the areas of behavior, neurology, developmental biology, cancer and aging, immunology and hematology.
"Ultimately, genomic approaches for drug discovery will require knockout mouse validation," said Dr. Sands. "With fewer than 500 genes targeted by current drug therapy, an incredible opportunity is in store for drug developers. Furthermore, Lexicon holds all critical patents and licenses to produce these knockout mice in a commercially efficient manner."
Lexicon Genetics Incorporated is the leader in defining the functions of genes for drug discovery using large-scale knockout mouse technology. Lexicon has invented high-throughput gene trapping technology to discover thousands of genes and expand its OmniBank(R) library of tens of thousands of mouse clones. The Company uses an integrated platform of functional genomic technologies to accelerate large-scale analysis of mammalian gene function for drug discovery. Lexicon's Internet exchange, www.lexgen.com enables researchers worldwide to access the OmniBank library and form collaborations with Lexicon to discover pharmaceutical products based on genes and knowledge of their functions. Lexicon has established functional genomics and OmniBank alliances with many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including American Home Products, The R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute, G.D. Searle & Co., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, N.V. Organon, ZymoGenetics/ Novo Nordisk, DuPont Pharmaceuticals and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Additional Company information is available at www.lexicon-genetics.com.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties that exist in Lexicon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligations to update the statements in this press release.
SOURCE Lexicon Genetics Incorporated