BURLINGAME, Calif., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- BioSeek, Inc., a leader in applying integrated human biology systems for developing new therapeutics, announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with UCB, a global biopharmaceutical leader based in Belgium. Under the collaboration, BioSeek will apply its BioMAP(R) Systems to evaluate a number of UCB compounds across several target classes, in support of target differentiation, lead development, and drug candidate selection activities at UCB.
“We are excited to be working closely with UCB, an innovative biopharmaceutical company combining distinctive strengths in chemistry and biology, and focusing on severe diseases in three important therapeutic areas, CNS, inflammation and oncology,” commented Michael C. Venuti, Ph.D., CEO of BioSeek. “This collaboration leverages the power of our systems biology technology across multiple disease areas and multiple phases of the drug development process.”
“The BioMAP(R) platform represents a very promising approach to applying the promise of whole-systems biology to the drug discovery and development process,” stated Dr. Mark Bushfield, VP, NCE Research, UCB.
BioSeek’s BioMAP(R) Systems are a series of human primary cell-based assay systems designed to replicate the intricate cell and pathway interactions present in human disease biology. Depending on their mechanism of action, compounds induce specific patterns of changes in these systems (BioMAP profiles) that can be compared to a large number of reference profiles in BioSeek’s database. BioMAP profiling can provide in-depth characterization of drug function, including defining mechanism of action and secondary activities, and can provide insights into potential clinical applications. In addition to characterizing previously identified lead compounds, BioSeek is using BioMAP Systems for primary screening, to rapidly generate lead compounds that have novel activity in a particular disease setting.
About BioSeek
BioSeek is improving the success rate of pharmaceutical research and development by integrating human biology from the early stages of drug discovery onward. The Company’s BioMAP(R) Systems incorporate predictive human cell-based disease models that generate uniquely informative activity signatures for each potential drug, driving the selection and development of new drug candidates. BioSeek is leveraging BioMAP(R) Systems technology in collaborations to enhance the productivity of its pharmaceutical partners’ pipelines, and in the Company’s internal programs to identify promising compounds for proprietary development in the fields of inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and related indications.
For more information, go to www.bioseekinc.com
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb-group.com) is a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry dedicated to the research, development and commercialisation of innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology products in the fields of central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology. UCB focuses on securing a leading position in severe disease categories. Employing more than 10,000 people in over 40 countries, UCB achieved revenue of 3.5 billion euro in 2006 on a pro forma basis. UCB S.A. is listed on the Euronext Brussels Exchange and, through its affiliate, owns approx. 89% of the shares of SCHWARZ PHARMA AG. SCHWARZ PHARMA (Monheim, Germany) is a member of the UCB Group.
CONTACT: Michael Venuti, Ph.D., CEO of BioSeek, Inc., +1-650-552-0754, or
Jennifer Greenleaf of MacDougall Biomedical Communications, +1-781-235-3060
Web site: http://www.bioseekinc.com/
http://www.ucb-group.com/
