Nantes (France), March, 22 2011 – TcLand Expression, a leading company focused on gene
expression biomarkers in immunology and personalized medicine, today is pleased to announce its
participation in the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) project “Be The CURE”. The consortium is
coordinated by academic leaders Pr. Lars Klareskog from the Karolinska Institute and Pr. Tom
Huizinga from Leiden University Medical Center, as well as by Dr Neil Gozzard, UCB Pharma SA, on
behalf of the industrial partners. More than 20 prominent research groups across Europe, as well as
industrial partners (AstraZeneca AB, Boehringer Ingelheim International GMBH, Bristol Myers Squibb
EMEA sarl, CENTOCOR B.V., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Merck, NovoNordisk A/S, Pfizer Limited, and
UCB Pharma SA), will work together within the consortium to push forward the boundaries of
knowledge in the field of Rheumatology.
TcLand Expression, the only SME partner within the consortium, will focus its efforts on “response to
therapies”, a key area in which the company is already building expertise through its development of
blood-based, transcriptional biomarkers for the prediction of response to biologics in rheumatoid
arthritis.
“This is a unique opportunity for TcLand Expression to interact with renowned scientists and clinicians
from academia and with the industry in the field of rheumatology. Joining forces in biomarkers and
diagnostic development will promote personalized medicine into the clinic”, said Alessandra Cervino,
VP of R&D and Biostatistics at TcLand Expression.
The early prediction of response to biologics is a major challenge in autoimmune diseases in general
and in rheumatology in particular. This type of decision support will enable treatments to be
matched to an individual patient's disease status.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
The chronic, progressive, debilitating auto-immune disease rheumatoid arthritis is a major public
health concern and affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Despite significant
progress in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis over the last 10 years, many patients remain partial
responders and true remission is rarely achieved. A major goal in the field is prediction of response to
treatment prior to initiating a new therapy, with a view to optimize patient care, reducing the risk of
adverse effects or joint destruction and positively influencing overall healthcare costs.
About TcLand Expression
TcLand Expression is a recognized pioneer in the discovery, development and validation of gene
expression biomarkers for unmet medical needs in immunology. The company benefits from an
exceptional scientific and clinical environment. For more information, please visit our website:
www.tcland-expression.com
The Innovative Medicines Initiative and the “Be The Cure project”
The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is Europe's largest public-private initiative aiming to speed
up the development of better and safer medicines for patients. IMI supports collaborative research
projects and builds networks of industrial and academic experts in order to boost pharmaceutical
innovation in Europe. IMI is a joint undertaking between the European Union and the pharmaceutical
industry association EFPIA. Be The Cure is an IMI funded project with 25 academic participants, 9
EFPIA participants and 1 SME and a budget of 38 M€. More information and the project summary can
be found on the website at www.imi.europa.eu
Contact
Alain Huriez, CEO
TcLand Expression SA
+33 (0)2 40 35 89 99 / ahuriez@tcland-expression.com
Caroline Carmagnol
ALIZE RP
+33 (0)6 64 18 99 59 / caroline@alizerp.com
Anne-Sophie Cosquéric
+ 33 (0) 1 42 68 86 41 / anne-sophie@alizerp.com