Paris, October 12th, 2009 –Cellectis S.A. (Alternext: ALCLS), the French genome engineering specialist, today announced that it has acquired the Vectocell® intracellular delivery technology1 from Diatos SA in order to optimize the efficacy of its drug candidates.
The Vectocell® technology platform can improve the performance of a therapeutic compound by enabling specific entry into the target cell compartment or organ in animals and humans. The technology is based on the fusion between the therapeutic protein and an antibody-derived peptide that facilitates passive entry into the cell. Experimental data show that this targeting technique provokes minimal immunogenicity, and thus offers excellent safety. Vectocell®'s ability to provide specific, targeted entry into any chosen cell type gives it a broad spectrum of applications. Pharmaceutical companies, including Servier, have already trusted this technology.
“Vectocell® fits well with Cellectis’ current molecular approaches and will slot into our portfolio perfectly. It has immediate applications in our two highest-priority activities: research tools and therapeutics ", commented Cellectis CEO André Choulika. « Vectocell® fused to a meganuclease will transform it in biotherapeutics.
The acquisition of Vectocell® will enrich Cellectis’ intellectual property portfolio by an additional 9 patent families.
About Cellectis S.A.
Cellectis S.A. is a world leader in genome engineering and genome surgery. The company focuses on developing and producing custom meganucleases for use in vivo genome surgery in the therapeutic, agrifood, biomanufacturing and research sectors. Worldwide, Cellectis has entered into more than 50 agreements with major players in the pharma, biotech and agribiotech industries and has over 20 collaborations with academic research groups. To date, Cellectis has raised over €50 million in both equity operations and public financing and is listed on the NYSE-Euronext Alternext market (ticker code: ALCLS). For more information on Cellectis, visit our website: www.cellectis.com
