Applied Genomics Paves the Way for Improved Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Disease

21 May 2007 13:00

Leading authorities from the world of genetics highlightedimportant new research, products and trends at Amphion Innovations plc"Building Market Value From The World Of Genetics" symposium in NewYork City on May 15th. Amphion Innovations plc (LSE: AMP), a builderof companies in life sciences and technology, brought togetherworld-class expertise from its Partner Companies to shed light on newdevelopments that will help cure disease while building value forshareholders. £ The event, first in an annual series of Amphion symposiums, drewmore than 100 scientists, business leaders and investors interested inlearning how applied genomics are paving the way for discoveries, inclinical medicine, pharmaceuticals and nutrition, which were notpossible a decade ago. £ "We live during a breakthrough period in the understanding ofgenetics," said Richard C.E. Morgan, Amphion's chief executiveofficer. "The marketplace is eager to see exciting new discoveriestranslated into commercial diagnostics, treatments, and products thathelp people to live longer, more productive lives. Amphion's PartnerCompanies, supported by our company building expertise, are able toleverage these discoveries to improve the prevention, detection, andtreatment of diseases ranging from diabetes and obesity to chronicinflammation and deadly infections." £ Morgan introduced a panel of Amphion Partner Company speakers whodemonstrated how their companies have applied genomics to improve andsave lives while creating value for shareholders: £ -- Dr. David Denning, CEO, Myconostica, Ltd. Dr. Denning is one of the world's leading experts on fungal infections. He currently leads an international consortium sequencing the aspergillus fumigatus genome and is also a clinician at Wytheshawe Hospital in Manchester, UK. £ -- Mr. Zaki Hosny, CEO, Motif BioSciences, Inc. Mr. Hosny has more than 35 years in the global pharmaceutical industry working for Merck & Co. He has held senior management positions in the United States and several European countries in general management, marketing and government relations. £ -- Dr. Kathleen Mullinix, CEO WellGen, Inc. Dr. Mullinix has served as the Vice Provost of Columbia University and has held two leadership positions at the National Institute of Health. Prior to joining WellGen, she founded Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corp. £ Dr. Denning made the following points: £ -- Sequencing fungi provides insight into the basic biology of organisms as well as wider aspects of biology, and it has commercial value by enabling production of useful compounds, such as citric acid. Further, it helps to identify new genes for drug targets as well as enabling rapid disease detection. £ -- Rapid detection of infectious diseases is often the difference between life and death. With the rapid detection of infections provided by Myconostica's products, mortality rates can be reduced by as much as 25%. £ -- By extracting DNA and putting it into contact with a proprietary molecular probe, Myconostica's test will be able to detect deadly infections in fewer than four hours. The total market for the company's tests for lethal respiratory infections and candida could exceed $2 billion per year. £ Mr. Hosny made the following points: £ -- Pharmaceutical companies are facing a huge challenge as more than half of the top 100 selling drugs will soon come off patent. £ -- Population genetics is being used to effectively isolate certain mutations that put people at risk for heart disease, type-2 diabetes and autism. The stakes for genetically validated drug targeting are extremely high as it costs more than $1 billion to bring a new drug to market. £ -- By collecting and analyzing data from the homogenous populations of the Arabian Gulf region, Motif BioSciences is able to quickly identify patterns in mutation that, barring an impossibly high sample size, would not be visible by studying more diverse populations. £ Dr. Mullinix made the following points: £ -- There is astronomical growth in the functional foods market. It is an $80 billion industry and growing as brands like Hershey, Nestle and Minute Made are all marketing hugely successful functional food products that promote health and wellness. £ -- Nutrigenomics, a science examining how certain food compounds affect gene expression, is the next frontier in functional foods because it can help answer the food industry's calls for increased innovation. £ -- With proprietary food ingredients and a platform for screening natural food byproducts for their effect on gene expression, WellGen is unique in its ability to help companies bring innovative products to market faster. £ For more information on the subject matter that was discussed atthe symposium, or if you would like more information on AmphionInnovations and its Partner Companies, please contact Josh Berkman orNicole Allen at 646-747-7158 or 646-747-7161, respectively. Email:jberkman@kwitco.com/nallen@kwitco.com. £ About Amphion Innovations plc £ Amphion Innovations plc is listed on the AIM Exchange in Londonunder the symbol AMP. Amphion's business is the formation, financing,management and development of life sciences and technology companies,primarily in the US and UK, working in partnership with corporations,governments, universities and entrepreneurs seeking to commercializetheir intellectual property. Amphion's management team has built morethan 30 companies in 20 years, all of which have achieved value inexcess of $120 million. £ On the web: www.amphionplc.com Copyright Business Wire 2007