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EWTOWN, Pa.--Kimeragen here and ValiGene of Paris announced that they will merge to create ValiGen, a functional genomics company that will combine the genomics platform under development at ValiGene with chimeraplasty, the gene correction technology being developed at Kimeragen. The new company will apply genomics and chimeraplasty technologies to identify and validate novel targets for therapeutic intervention against major diseases, both for commercial partners and for itself. ValiGen will explore the potential for chimeraplast-based gene repair therapeutics to treat human diseases associated with particular mutations and also investigate agricultural applications. The merged company will have approximately 100 employees at operations here and in Paris.