Bristol-Myers in deal to Test SAS Proteomics Solution, Other Software
Bristol Myers-Squibb will test SAS Proteomics Solution and other software to streamline its research processes and improve collaborations, SAS said.
During this three-month pilot project, BMS scientists will use SAS Proteomics Solution to analyze mass spectrometry data. SAS, based in Cary, NC, plans to release SAS Proteomics Solution this year.
The researchers also will also use SAS Microarray Solution and SAS Research Data Management to co-develop statistical methods for analyzing their gene expression data. The parties did not disclose financial terms of the deal.
SeraCare Life Sciences to Distribute SurModics’ In Vitro Stabilization Products in US
SurModics has signed an agreement with SeraCare Life Sciences in which SeraCare will distribute SurModics’ in vitro diagnostic stabilization products in the US and Puerto Rico, the companies said this week.
These products protect the activity of lyophilized and solubilized protein components in diagnostic kits. The company also plans to introduce products that stabilize and reduce the aggregation of microparticles, as well as reagents to increase the performance of micro-array slides.
SurModics is based in Minneapolis, Minn., and SeraCare is a blood products and biotechnology products manufacturer and distributor, based in Oceanside, Calif.
AxtivX Biosciences Begins Second Collaboration with Kyorin Pharmaceutical
ActivX Biosciences and Kyorin Pharmaceutical have signed a research agreement to study compounds for metabolic disorders, Kyorin said this week.
ActivX, based in La Jolla, Calif., will use its proteomics technology to analyze the activity and toxicity mechanisms of compounds developed by Kyorin of Tokyo to treat metabolic disorders.
The companies began a three-year collabor-ation in May 2002 to study new drugs for type II diabetes.
NextGen Sciences Licenses Protagen’s UNIclone Gene Library
NextGen Sciences of Huntingdon, UK, said this week that it has licensed Protagen’s UNIclone gene library resource, and will combine it with its own expressionfactory protein expression platform with the goal of producing content for protein biochips.
NextGen said it will use the UNIclone library of more than 11,000 unique human genes to produce large quantities of functional proteins for use with expressionfactory, which automates protein expression on a single platform, in parallel.
According to NextGen, access to gene libraries was previously “the protein production bottleneck” for its protein biochip platform.
Protagen, meanwhile, said it plans to use NextGen’s expressionfactory as part of its protein research service business, which will allow researchers to purchase the proteins they require from an “off-the-shelf” list of genes.
Ciphergen Forms New Clinical Diagnostics Division
Ciphergen said this week it has formed a new clinical diagnostics division, and appointed Gail Page as president of the division (see people in the news, p. 2).
The company, which has biomarker discovery programs in cancer, neurology, cardiovascular, and infectious disease, said that further details about its division and the business plans of the division “are expected to be announced in the coming months.”
Inproteo Licenses Fusion Protein Technique to ZymoGenetics
Inproteo has licensed US Patent No. 4,569,794, which covers the “His Tag,” the fusion protein purification technique and its foreign counterparts, to Seattle-based ZymoGenetics, Inproteo said this week.
Inproteo, formerly known as the Indiana Proteomics Consortium, was recently granted a license to this patent from Eli Lilly and Company, and granted the exclusive right to issue sub-licenses.
ProMetic Life Sciences Raises $CA23 Million
ProMetic Life Sciences of Montreal has raised CA$23 million ($17.8 million), in a stock offering.
The company, which is traded on the Toronto venture exchange, closed an offering of 10.5 million subordinate voting shares for proceeds of CA$20 million. The underwriters of this offering exercised their over-allotment option, which entitles them to purchase an additional 1.6 million shares.
ProMetics markets a Mimetic Ligand technology, which is a source of separation tools for Proteomic discovery.