Life Technologies kauft Geneart - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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09.04.2010 07:01
Hugin-News: Geneart AG

GENEART AG wird Teil des US-amerikanischen Biotechnologie-Unternehmens Life Technologies Corp.

Geneart AG / GENEART AG wird Teil des US-amerikanischen Biotechnologie -Unternehmens Life Technologies Corp. verarbeitet und übermittelt durch Hugin. Für den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent verantwortlich.

- Life Technologies erwirbt über deutsche Tochtergesellschaft Applied Biosystems 58 % der Anteile - Öffentliches Übernahmeangebot für verbleibende Aktien angestrebt - Kooperationsvertrag mit Life Technologies abgeschlossen

Regensburg, 09. April 2010 - Die Unternehmensgründer der GENEART AG Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner, Prof. Dr. Hans Wolf und Dr. Marcus Graf, einzelne Mitglieder des Managements sowie die beiden Venture-Capital-Gesellschaften EquiNet EarlyStage Capital und S-REFIT AG, haben mit der Applied Biosystems Deutschland GmbH Verträge über den Verkauf ihrer GENEART-Anteile abgeschlossen. Die Applied Biosystems Deutschland GmbH hält damit rund 58 % der Anteile an der GENEART AG und plant, ein freiwilliges öffentliches Übernahmeangebot für die verbleibenden rund 42 % der GENEART-Aktien abzugeben. Die Applied Biosystems Deutschland GmbH ist die deutsche Tochtergesellschaft der Life Technologies Corporation, einem Biotechnologie-Unternehmen mit Sitz in Kalifornien/USA mit einem Umsatz 2009 von 3,3 Mrd. US-Dollar und rund 9.000 Mitarbeitern. Des Weiteren hat die GENEART AG mit der Life Technologies Corporation einen Kooperationsvertrag abgeschlossen.

Kontakt für weitere Informationen:

Dr. Karoline Stürmer GENEART AG Josef-Engert-Str. 11 93053 Regensburg Tel.: [phone] Fax: [phone] [e-mail] www.geneart.com

Frank Ostermair Better Orange IR&HV AG Haidelweg 48 81241 München Tel.: [phone] Fax: [phone] [e-mail] www.better-orange.de

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19.04.2010 13:32
Life Technologies Introduces New Real-Time PCR System

Usability and Performance Enhancements Promote New Era of Lab Productivity

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE) today announced the expansion of its industry-leading family of real-time PCR systems with the introduction of a new high-productivity instrument. The Applied Biosystems ViiA™ 7 Real-Time PCR System seamlessly integrates a variety of quantitative PCR (qPCR) and genotyping applications, enabling researchers to enter a new era of lab productivity. The system offers a number of performance and usability enhancements that are expected to advance the understanding of molecular biology in the pharmaceutical discovery and clinical research markets.

Real-time PCR is a common laboratory method that measures PCR amplification as it occurs, cycle-by-cycle, allowing quantitative measurements to be made in the highly reproducible exponential phase of PCR. This enables extremely accurate and precise quantification of nucleic acids over a large dynamic range compared to traditional techniques. Since the introduction of the first real-time PCR instrument by Applied Biosystems 14 years ago, researchers have increasingly relied on applications of real-time PCR to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of disease.

The ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System has been designed to improve researcher productivity for research that includes how gene expression changes in response to pharmacological agents, and how genetic variation influences response to treatments for disease. The system optimizes and simplifies a host of real-time PCR applications; all integrated and easily accessible from a touch screen. A patent-pending OptiFlex™ System within the ViiA 7 System provides the sensitivity to detect a single copy of starting genetic material and offers enhanced multiplexing flexibility.

"In the past decade, quantitative real-time PCR has become a cornerstone technology for the life science researcher, allowing scientists around the world to identify molecular markers for disease and precisely measure how changes in activity at the genome level translate to significant molecular outcomes in living systems," said Peter Dansky, President of Molecular Biology Systems for Life Technologies. "By integrating a broad portfolio of real-time PCR applications on a single high-performance platform, the ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System will vastly increase the productivity of researchers and inspire them to develop novel workflows that lead to an even greater understanding of the molecular basis of health and disease."

The ViiA 7 System's software integrates standard real-time PCR applications like nucleic acid quantification, detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and copy number variation detection with others that include high-resolution melting, protein analysis with proximity ligation technology, and gene expression analysis performed directly from cultured cells without RNA purification.

The ViiA 7 System includes usability enhancements that enable efficient and cost-effective research. Through one-touch protocols, researchers can operate the system without a separate computer and monitor runs from remote locations. Automated sample loading enables uninterrupted system operation and eliminates the need for robotic pipetting equipment.

The ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System will be available in June.

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28.05.2010 14:33
Life Technologies Completes Tender Offer for Synthetic Biology Firm Geneart


Establishes Leadership Position in Emerging Field

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE), a provider of innovative life science solutions, announced today that it has concluded its tender offer and acquired a majority stake in Geneart AG, the global leader of the synthetic gene market segment. The combination of Geneart with Life Technologies' resources and commercial capabilities creates a well-capitalized synthetic biology company with advanced technology and production capabilities, providing products to fuel innovation in this emerging field.

Geneart's expertise is in the production of synthetic genes, a rapidly-growing area of biology where pieces of DNA can be assembled in the lab and used to create and modify cells. Synthetic biology can result in products used in many applications that could lead to improvements in human health, energy, the environment, and other areas.

Geneart has extensive synthetic gene technology, production, research and development and commercial capabilities, and provides custom synthetic genes and services that can be used for a vast range of applications. Industrial uses of its products include creating enzymes used as detergent additives, constructing bacteria that can break down environmentally toxic polymers or development of DNA and protein-based drug candidates.

"The burgeoning field of synthetic biology is filled with opportunities where many of Life Technologies' genomic and sequencing products already play lead roles," said Gregory T. Lucier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Life Technologies. "Just as Life Technologies is a pioneer in genetic sequencing, cloning and regenerative medicine, we will be able to directly participate and lead in synthetic biology by offering the tools our customers need to accelerate discoveries in this emerging field."

"Through Life Technologies, Geneart will be able to materially expand its impact through enhanced distribution and commercial capabilities in the United States, scale in procurement and access to research and development capital," said Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Geneart.

Deal Terms

On April 9, 2010, in an all-cash-for-shares offer, Life Technologies purchased approximately 2.6 million shares (approximately 59 percent of the common outstanding shares) of Geneart stock at EUR11.59 per share, representing the stake held by management, founders and early venture capitalist investors. Life Technologies then initiated on April 13, 2010 a voluntary public tender offer to purchase all remaining shares of Geneart. At the close of the tender offer period at midnight Central European time on May 25, 2010, shareholders of Geneart had tendered in aggregate approximately 554,000 shares of Geneart common stock at EUR13.75 per share, providing Life Technologies with a total ownership of approximately 74 percent of Geneart. Geneart reported sales of EUR17 million in 2009. Life Technologies does not expect this transaction to have a material effect on its business in fiscal year 2010.

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New Global Licensing Program Opens Access to Innovative Technologies

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE) today announced that it has finalized cell line license agreements with a number of companies to provide rights to Life Technologies' proprietary CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell lines for the production of recombinant proteins used as therapeutic agents and vaccines.

New licensees include Advanced BioScience Laboratories, Inc., CNA Development L.L.C., Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation and DiNonA Inc. of Korea, RecipharmCobra Biologics, Ltd. of the United Kingdom, evitria SA of Switzerland, Fusion Antibodies of Northern Ireland, Indian Immunologicals Limited of Hyderabad, India and others. Commercial use rights have additionally been offered to many of the hundreds of institutions already using Life Technologies' proprietary cell lines for research and development.

These licenses are part of a new program established by Life Technologies to provide access to intellectual property rights for the production of recombinant proteins, focusing on the rapidly growing market segments of bioproduction, therapeutics, diagnostics, veterinary medicine and vaccines. The new program is part of the company's new out-licensing strategy, which additionally includes providing a greater breadth of the company's best-in-class product and technology portfolio through this channel, creating more complete, customized solutions for OEM and other commercial use customers.

CHO lines are the gold standard for therapeutic protein production with a well-characterized safety profile, and attractive cellular mechanisms that convey good drug quality. Life Technologies' CHO lines are optimized for growth in suspension in the company's chemically defined GIBCO® media, permitting protein manufacturers to obtain good yields while reducing serum-associated risks. They have also been shown to be free of standard pathogens, making them well suited for therapeutic manufacturing.

Detailed cell line history documentation packages that are suitable for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of Investigational New Drug filings are provided to licensees, eliminating the need for expensive preliminary testing, aiding the acceleration of drug development and product launch.

"This new global licensing program is part of a larger strategy to monetize our rich intellectual property, technology and product portfolio," said Paul Grossman, PhD, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Life Technologies. "The program is a stellar example of one of the creative ways in which the company plans to provide broader access to the company's intellectual property, including patents, biological materials, trademarks and trade-secrets, which are designed to lead to revolutionary developments in drug and vaccine manufacture to ultimately improve healthcare."

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Fourth quarter GAAP earnings per share of $0.37, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.90

Full year GAAP earnings per share of $1.99, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.55

Free cash flow of $183 million in the fourth quarter, and full year free cash flow of $614 million

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced results for its fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2010. Non-GAAP revenue for the fourth quarter was $934 million, resulting in full year non-GAAP revenues of $3.6 billion, an increase of 9 percent over the $3.3 billion reported for 2009. Excluding the impact of currency, and acquisitions, organic revenue for the quarter grew 5 percent over the same period in the previous year and 7 percent for the full year. Excluding H1N1 and the large Japanese forensics order from last year's numbers, organic growth was 9 percent for the fourth quarter and a record 9 percent for the full year.

"I'm very pleased with our performance in the fourth quarter and throughout 2010," said Gregory T. Lucier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Life Technologies. "We made great strides as a company, including completing the integration a year ahead of schedule, launching numerous new products, and building out world-class operations. Looking ahead, we are well positioned to drive strong revenue growth and earnings with a robust pipeline of innovative products that continue to extend our reach into new end markets and geographies."