THE WOODLANDS, Texas and HUDSON, N.Y., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lexicon Genetics Incorporated and Taconic Farms, Inc. announced today the formation of a collaboration for the marketing, distribution and licensing of certain knockout mice made by Lexicon. The collaboration brings together Lexicon’s substantial portfolio of proprietary knockout mouse lines with Taconic’s expertise in the breeding, housing, quality control and global marketing and distribution of rodent models for medical research and drug discovery.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Lexicon will initially make available more than 1,000 distinct lines of mice, each with a single gene knocked out, for use by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and other researchers. Taconic will provide breeding services and licenses for these lines and will distribute knockout mice to customers. Lexicon will consider requests for the creation of new lines as well.
“In collaborating with Lexicon to make available this extensive portfolio of knockout mouse lines, we are providing customers with fast access to one of the most important technologies for medical research and drug discovery,” said Samuel P. Phelan, President of Taconic. “We believe customers will be enthusiastic about the opportunity to accelerate their drug discovery and development efforts through use of materials that would ordinarily take months or years to generate, particularly if they are sourced from a proven leader like Lexicon.”
“Taconic’s technical expertise and established customer base make it an ideal collaborator for the commercial distribution of knockout mice,” said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Lexicon. “This collaboration, combined with our new agreements with the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, demonstrates our commitment to making our proprietary technology widely available, as our internal efforts focus on advancing our drug pipeline into clinical development.”
About Lexicon Genetics
Lexicon Genetics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of breakthrough treatments for human disease. Lexicon is systematically discovering the physiological and behavioral functions of genes to identify potential points of therapeutic intervention, or drug targets. Lexicon makes these discoveries using its proprietary gene knockout technology to model the physiological effects that could be expected from prospective drugs directed against novel targets. The Company has advanced knockout- validated targets into drug discovery programs in six therapeutic areas: diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric and neurological disorders, cancer, immune system disorders and ophthalmic disease. Lexicon is working both independently and through strategic collaborations and alliances to accelerate the development and commercialization of its discoveries. Additional information about Lexicon is available through its corporate website, http://www.lexicon-genetics.com .
Lexicon Genetics Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” including statements about Lexicon’s growth and future operating results, discovery and development of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including those relating to Lexicon’s ability to successfully conduct preclinical development of its drug candidates and advance such candidates into clinical development, achieve its operational objectives, obtain patent protection for its discoveries and establish strategic alliances, as well as those relating to manufacturing, the regulatory process, intellectual property rights, and the therapeutic or commercial value of its drug candidates, that may cause Lexicon’s actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Information identifying such important factors is contained under “Factors Affecting Forward-Looking Statements” and “Business - Risk Factors” in Lexicon’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lexicon undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Taconic
Taconic Farms, Inc. was founded in 1952 as a family-owned business in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Since then, the company has become one of the largest laboratory rodent providers in the world with a reputation for consistently producing high quality, well-defined rats and mice. Taconic’s expertise in breeding, barrier systems, genetics and animal health supports researchers focused on drug development using in vivo models. Taconic has six breeding facilities and three service laboratories in the USA and Europe, a staff of over 800, and a commitment to technological innovation. Additional information about Taconic is available through its corporate website, http://www.taconic.com .
Lexicon Genetics Incorporated; Taconic Farms, Inc.
CONTACT: Bobbie Faulkner, Manager, Investor Relations of Lexicon GeneticsIncorporated, +1-281-863-3503, or bfaulkner@lexgen.com ; or Donna Gulezian,+1-518-697-3931, or media inquiries, Doug Stone, +1-518-697-3966, both ofTaconic Farms, Inc.
