 OXFORD GENE TECHNOLOGY ACQUIRES SENSE PROTEOMIC LTD. TO DEVELOP BIOMARKER DISCOVERY BUSINESS
Date: 17 Mar 2009Oxford, UK, March 17, 2009 - Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) is pleased to announce the
acquisition of Sense Proteomic Ltd., a UK-based company engaged in the discovery of
disease-specific biomarkers based on its innovative functional protein array technology.
Using its proprietary protein array platform, Sense Proteomic has identified autoantibody
signatures with the potential to:
- improve disease diagnosis and prognosis
- identify stage of a disease by monitoring the changes in autoantibody production during disease progression
- monitor the response to therapeutic interventions
- improve clinical outcomes by the stratification of patients for clinical trials and treatment.
Sense Proteomic has identified biomarker panels for several diseases including prostate
cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus, and has other biomarker discovery programmes in
progress.
Mike Evans, OGT’s CEO, said: “Sense Proteomic’s highly skilled scientific team has already
demonstrated significant progress in developing biomarker panels based on its novel
functional protein array platform. This deal, combined with our recent development of an ultra
high throughput DNA microarray facility, gives OGT a unique blend of genomic and proteomic
technologies and will lead to the development of biomarkers with profound clinical
significance.”
Rachel Fallon, Sense Proteomic’s joint CEO, said: “This transaction represents a rare
opportunity to discover important biomarkers for disease using more than one approach. The
biomarkers can be detected using a simple blood test for early diagnosis and prognosis of
disease. We look forward to integrating with OGT’s current capabilities and microarray
expertise.”
For further information, please contact:
Oxford Gene Technology, Begbroke Science Park,
Sandy Lane, Yarnton, Oxford OX5 1PF
T: +44 1865 856828; F: +44 1865 848684
W: www.ogt.co.uk Email: contact@ogt.co.uk
Editorial contact for further information or follow-up:
Sarah Withington at kdm communications limited, Bedford, UK
Tel. +44 (0) 1234 210555; Fax: +44 (0) 1234 342397
Email: ideas@kdm-communications.com
Notes to editors
About Oxford Gene Technology
Founded in 1995 by the pioneer of Southern Blotting and microarray technologies, Professor Sir Edwin Southern,
OGT is based near Oxford, UK.
The key focus areas of OGT include:
1. High Throughput Microarray Services and biomarker discovery
With a processing capacity of over 1,000 samples per week applications available include
aCGH, CNV, methylation studies and miRNA.
2. Cytogenetics products and services for high resolution detection of chromosomal abnormalities.
OGT offers a range of high resolution oligonucleotide arrays, labelling kits and analysis software that
together provide a unique, comprehensive solution for cytogenetics.
3. Digital microarrays/ Single Cell analysis. OGT’s innovative, patent-protected technology development
programme is aimed at analysing genomic events at the single cell level for major applications such as
stem cell and cancer biology.
4. Licensing. OGT operates an open licensing policy which has successfully provided access for a number of
companies to OGT's fundamental intellectual property, particularly in the area of microarrays.
For further information on OGT products and services please visit http://www.ogt.co.uk/
About Sense Proteomic
Sense Proteomic has developed a novel functional protein array technology which allows thousands of human
proteins to be analysed in a single experiment.
Our primary focus is on using our technology to discover new biomarker panels to improve the clinical diagnosis of
cancer and autoimmune diseases. We are carrying out this work both in-house and in collaboration with leading
industrial and academic researchers. So far we have developed early tests for prostate cancer, lupus and non-small
cell lung carcinoma that show high sensitivity and specificity.
For further information on Sense Proteomic please visit http://www.senseproteomic.com
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