ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifeMap Sciences, Inc. (“LifeMap”), a life sciences technology company and subsidiary of BioTime, Inc., announced today the market launch of TGex™ (Translational Genomics Expert), an integrated next-generation genomic sequencing (NGS) analysis platform. TGex leverages the GeneCards Suite Knowledgebase to rapidly identify genetic variants that may impact disease management and health outcomes, eliminating a traditional research bottleneck and enabling streamlined, efficient exploration and utilization of sequencing data for research, as well as exploring diagnostic and therapeutic utility in the rapidly growing, global NGS market. TGex™ was developed in partnership with Toldot Genetics, LTD (Toldot), a subsidiary of BATM Advanced Communications, Ltd.
“Leveraging our GeneCards Suite knowledgebase and applications along with the combined NGS analysis expertise of Toldot, TGex™ addresses one of the significant challenges in the interpretation and display of evidence associating genetic variants to various diseases and phenotypes. This new technology enables enhanced analysis, case resolution, and automated evidence-based reporting.”
LifeMap will be presenting TGex™ at the Personalized Medicine World Conference in Mountain View, California, between Jan 24-27, 2016.
Key features and advantages of TGex:
- Phenotype-driven Analysis – TGex™ automatically prioritizes and scores gene variants based on their association with a subject’s phenotypes with easy access to supporting evidence
- Integrated Annotations View – TGex™ simplifies and consolidates numerous annotation attributes into a single view, enabling clear and straightforward analysis
- Automated, customizable reports – TGex™ eliminates the need for manual collection of evidence by collecting information about candidate variants, evidence and publications from the GeneCards Suite Knowledgebase
- Cloud or On-Premises & Integrable – TGex™ can be used on the cloud, in a customer’s private cloud, or installed on premises, allowing for integration of additional data sources into the analysis process
“The NGS revolution is here,” said David Warshawsky, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeMap Sciences. “Leveraging our GeneCards Suite knowledgebase and applications along with the combined NGS analysis expertise of Toldot, TGex™ addresses one of the significant challenges in the interpretation and display of evidence associating genetic variants to various diseases and phenotypes. This new technology enables enhanced analysis, case resolution, and automated evidence-based reporting.”
“It’s rewarding to see the vast experience that we have gained at Toldot embodied in TGex™, a cutting edge NGS analysis solution,” said Dvir Dahary, Chief Executive Officer of Toldot Genetics. “We believe that TGex™ will harness the power of NGS in a manner that will enhance science and enrich lives.”
For more information about TGex™, please visit http://tgex.genecards.org/.
About LifeMap Sciences, Inc.
LifeMap Sciences (“LifeMap”) is a life sciences technology company that develops and commercializes innovative Next Generation Sequencing (“NGS”) analysis solutions and tools, as well as the company’s core technology, the GeneCards Suite® Knowledgebase, to improve biomedical research & healthcare. LifeMap offers TGex™ (Translational Genomics Expert), an integrated, end-to-end analysis solution for NGS data providing streamlined interpretation and reporting. TGex™ empowers NGS analysis by highlighting associations between genes and phenotypes, providing supporting evidence for immediate evaluation and automatically generating case reports. TGex™ is powered by the GeneCards Suite Knowledgebase and premium tools, which integrates information from over 120 sources and enable researchers to effectively navigate the universe of human genes, genetic variants, proteins, cells, biological pathways, diseases, and the relationships between them.
LifeMap’s products are used in more than 3,000 institutions including academia, research hospitals, patent offices, and leading biopharma and diagnostic companies and have been successfully marketed for 12 years. LifeMap holds the exclusive worldwide license to market GeneCards Suite products from Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd., the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Operations worldwide are carried out from our offices in New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. LifeMap is a subsidiary of BioTime, Inc.
- LifeMap Sciences also intends to extend its offerings to the field of mobile health (mHealth) via its subsidiary, LifeMap Solutions, Inc.
For further information, please visit www.lifemapsc.com.
About Toldot Genetics Ltd.
Toldot Genetics improves healthcare through the use of whole genome sequencing, developing and applying sophisticated algorithm-based tools and approaches to assign genetic variations to clinical conditions. Toldot provides geneticists and physicians with a complete analysis package of Exome sequencing data for identifying the causal mutations of rare genetic disorders. Pharma and BioTech companies use Toldot’s services in their clinical pipelines, from the design and all the way to deep analysis of their sequencing data, exclusively tailored for the requirements of each project, incorporating gold-standard tools with in-house algorithms and software.
For further information, please visit www.toldot-dna.com.
About the Weizmann Institute of Science and GeneCards
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, the Institute is home to scientists, postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and scientific, technical and administrative staff. In addition, visiting scientists and their families – over 500 from 35 countries are regularly hosted at the Institute. The Institute was founded in 1934 following a donation from Israel and Rebecca Sieff to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a noted biochemist and biotechnologist, who envisioned the establishment of a world-class scientific research center in Israel, and later also became the first President of the State of Israel. Weizmann Institute’s Feinberg Graduate School, established in 1958, has 1200 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students enrolled in studies covering the Institute’s five faculties: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics and Computer Science. The Institute’s technology transfer arm, Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. was the first company of its kind in Israel, and is currently one of the most successful worldwide. Institute research efforts include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment. Particular excellence in bioinformatics and systems biology is manifested, among others, in the GeneCards project, initiated in 1996, under the leadership of Prof. Doron Lancet of the Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Head of the Crown Human Genome Center. A team of 10 led by Marilyn Safran continuously innovates and keeps GeneCards as a world-top human gene compendium, automatically mining and integrating 100 worldwide web resources.
About BioTime, Inc.
BioTime, Inc., a pioneer in regenerative medicine, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company. BioTime and its subsidiaries are leveraging their industry-leading experience in pluripotent stem cell technology and a broad intellectual property portfolio to facilitate the development and use of cell-based therapies and gene marker-based molecular diagnostics for major diseases and degenerative conditions for which there presently are no cures. The lead clinical programs of BioTime and its subsidiaries include OpRegen®, currently in a Phase I/IIa trial for the treatment of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration; AST-OPC1, currently in a Phase I/IIa trial for spinal cord injuries; Renevia™, currently in a pivotal trial in Europe as an injectable matrix for the engraftment of transplanted cells to treat HIV-related lipoatrophy; and cancer diagnostics, nearing the completion of initial clinical studies for the detection of lung, bladder, and breast cancers. AST-VAC2, a cancer vaccine, is in the pre-clinical trial stage.
BioTime’s subsidiaries include the publicly traded Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc., developing pluripotent stem cell-based therapies in neurology and oncology, including AST-OPC1 and AST-VAC2; Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., developing stem cell-based therapies for retinal and neurological disorders, including OpRegen®; OncoCyte Corporation, developing cancer diagnostics; LifeMap Sciences, Inc., developing and marketing an integrated online database resource for biomedical and stem cell research; LifeMap Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of LifeMap Sciences, developing mobile health (mHealth) products; OrthoCyte Corporation, developing therapies to treat orthopedic disorders, diseases, and injuries; ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc., developing therapies to treat a variety of cardiovascular and related ischemic disorders; and Ascendance Biotechnology, Inc. which manufactures and sells proprietary products and services that assay new drug candidates for potential toxicity, including HepatoPac® and HepatoMune®, and other products for use as research tools.
For more information, please visit www.biotimeinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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