NEW YORK, Sept. 27 - A wholly owned subsidiary of Deltagen will create a new research and development center in Strasbourg, France, in a move designed to strengthen the company’s research presence on the continent, Deltagen said on Thursday.
The unit, Deltagen Europe, said it chose the new location because of its proximity to the Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, with which Deltagen has a “close research partnership.”
"As part of our research and development expansion plans, we are very excited to access the European scientific community and in particular IGBMC's mouse genetics center,” William Matthews, president and chief executive officer at Deltagen, said in a statement. “Looking ahead, our European research efforts will play a significant role in our genomic drug discovery program.”
Deltagen will initially set up a research and development center some 50,000 square feet in size in this northeastern city. The company said it plans to complete the facility by 2003.
The company said it plans to recruit “high-level researchers and laboratory technicians” to support its research. “Deltagen is an excellent example of how the French research community can attract investments by biotechnology companies,” Pierre Chambon, professor at the College de France, chairman of the IGBMC, and director of Strasbourg Genopole.
Last week, GenomeWeb reported that Deltagen has settled its patent infringement lawsuit with Lexicon Genetics 18 months after starting it.
Under the terms of the accord, Deltagen will receive a commercial license for Lexicon’s gene-targeting technologies, and Lexicon will gain access to Deltagen’s DeltaBase database of mammalian and genes. Lexicon will have a non-exclusive, perpetual license to DeltaBase’s 250 drug targets currently in the system and to the 1,000 additional targets the company expects to add over the next four years.