COLOGNE, Germany & LEIDEN, Netherlands & CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ncardia, a leader in human iPSC-based solutions for drug safety and efficacy screening, and Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), a global leader in gene editing and gene modulation technologies, announced a partnership to provide custom genetically modified and differentiated human iPSC-derived cells (hiPSC) for drug discovery researchers.
Drug discovery research requires rapid access to functional models of human disease. The new service from Ncardia enables disorders to be mimicked through introduction of genetic modifications in iPSC cell lines and subsequent differentiatiation into disease-relevant cell types, initially hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.
The partnership leverages Horizon’s experience in precision genome engineering to complement Ncardia’s expertise in manufacturing and differentiation of iPSC-derived cell lines. Under terms of the agreement, Ncardia will market and sell the products and services derived from the partnership. The companies see this service as an opportunity to increase accessibility of CRISPR-edited cell lines to researchers and provide clients with streamlined licensing and greater scientific value.
Johan te Koppele, Chief Services Officer, Ncardia, said: “Our aim is enable our clients to realize the full potential of disease modeling in drug discovery. Horizon’s leading position in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing makes them an ideal partner in this unique service offering.”
Terry Pizzie, Chief Executive Officer, Horizon, commented: “The combination of genome engineering with iPSC-derived cell lines for disease modeling represents a powerful tool for researchers. Horizon is pleased to partner with Ncardia to enable better models and assays to advance human health.”
About Horizon:
Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon") is a world leader in gene editing and gene modulation technologies. Horizon designs and engineers cells using its translational genomics platform, a highly precise and flexible suite of DNA editing tools (rAAV, ZFN, CRISPR and Transposon) and, following the acquisition of Dharmacon, Inc., its functional genomics platform comprising gene knockdown (RNAi) and gene expression (cDNA, ORF) tools, for research and clinical applications that advance human health. Horizon’s platforms and capabilities enable researchers to alter almost any gene or modulate its function in human or mammalian cell lines.
Horizon offers an extensive range of catalogue products and related research services to support a greater understanding of the function of genes across all species and the genetic drivers of human disease and the development of personalized molecular, cell and gene therapies. These have been adopted by over 10,000 academic, drug discovery, drug manufacturing and clinical diagnostics customers around the globe, as well as in the Company’s own R&D pipeline.
Horizon is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market under the ticker “HZD.”
About Ncardia:
Ncardia (www.ncardia.com) is convinced that stem cell technology will help give patients faster access to better and safer medicines by improving the drug discovery and development process. The company develops and produces highly predictive human cellular assay systems for safety and efficacy testing of drug candidates. Ncardia is based in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the USA. The company is privately held and established following the merger of Pluriomics and Axiogenesis.
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