The judging process is carried out by an esteemed international panel of leading clinical and commercial experts, including; Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director for the NHS; Brain expert, Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director and; Dr David Gillen, Medical Director of Pfizer UK. The judges were impressed by Horizon’s gene-engineering platform known as GENESISTM and how it has been exploited to deliver a profitable business within its first full year of commercial operation.
GENESIS enables normal human cells to be converted into cancer cells by the introduction of genetic mutations that either: cause the onset of cancer in some patients or can result in up to 90% of cancers becoming resistant to currently available drugs. The availability of these cell models (which accurately reflect how cancer manifests itself in real patients) enables researchers to develop a range of tests and new medicines that will enable doctors to tailor treatment and follow-up care based on the needs of individual cancer patients.
Horizon has used GENESIS to develop over 90 accurate models of human lung, breast, colorectal and other forms of cancer. This X-MANTM (Mutant And Normal) army is being deployed by global pharmaceutical companies to speed up and rationalize every step of the drug discovery process; from the identification of new “patient-relevant” targets and drugs, to the design of clinical trials that are centered around the groups of patients most likely to respond based on their genetic profile. Many of the key stakeholders in healthcare (patients, clinicians, funders, insurers and taxpayers) will benefit from this “personalised” approach. Horizon believes that this targeted research will save years on current drug development times, which often takes up to 15 years and also save hundreds of millions of dollars in wasted development costs.
