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A Successful Technology Transfer Project
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Prof. Ernst Hafen and Prof. Konrad Basler, two developmental biologists at the University of Zurich, and Prof. Michel Aguet, director of the Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Epalinges (ISREC), near Lausanne, were among the very first to discover the potential of using the fruit fly and the mouse as a combined in vivo system to discover genes, proteins and small compounds that interfere with disease-related signaling pathways in humans, particularly in the fields of cancer and type 2 diabetes. Based on their findings, the researchers together with Mario Jenni, a former Hoechst Marion Roussel marketing expert, translated their results into a business idea. The team participated in a business plan competition sponsored by the Zurich Institute of Technology and McKinsey and won two awards: one for their business idea and one for their business plan. This gave the decisive push for founding The Genetics Company in July 1998. It became fully operational in May 2000, after having been able to attract venture capital totaling 8.5 million Swiss francs from Nextech Venture (lead investor), Novartis Venture Fund, and private co-investors. The company aims at identifying novel drug targets and leads to develop novel therapies for a variety of life-threatening diseases. It started its operations in facilities both at the University of Zurich and at Biopôle, a biotech incubator close to the ISREC.
In 2001, The Genetics Company announced the appointments of Dr. Harald Eistetter and Mr. Andreas Ziegler to the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. Early this year, the company moved to its new 1'500 square meter facility in Zurich-Schlieren, where also several other young biotech companies are located. With Switzerland still being a pioneer in biotech, the activities of innovative ventures such as The Genetics Company will help to decisively shape this new landscape.
The Genetics Company, Inc.
Wagistrasse 27,
8952 Schlieren
Phone +41-44-200 2200
Fax +41-44-200 2211
info@the-genetics.com
www.the-genetics.com
The group of Professor Basler and The Genetics Company have succeeded in identifying what could prove to be key factors in treating human colon cancer. These key factors are two cellular proteins, which play important roles in the transmission of signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus, thus triggering the process of cell division. In almost all cases of colon cancer, this intracellular signal transmission is modified in such a way that the cells are instructed to constantly divide.
The Genetics Company is currently testing, in collaboration with another Swiss biotech company, thousands of chemical substances in a High Throughput Screen (HTS) for their ability to block the activity of the first of the said proteins and to thus inhibit uncontrolled cell division. It is expected that a suitable substance will be found shortly, which subsequently can be developed into an effective medicine for treating colon cancer. A similar approach is planned for the second newly identified protein. |
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