Commercialising functional human protein arrays

Sigma-Aldrich and Procognia have an exclusive agreement that calls for Sigma-Aldrich to market novel arrays of functional human proteins developed by Procognia.

This agreement will significantly expand Sigma-Aldrich's pipeline of products for the advancement of proteomic research.

Procognia has developed proprietary tag technology to create the first arrays of biologically-related human proteins that retain their native functions in the array format.

The first protein array in the pipeline of products will contain wild type human p53 and its important germline SNP variants.

The p53 protein is implicated in most cancers when its normal function to suppress tumor growth is reduced or lost through variation in its sequence.

Procognia's functionally arrayed SNP variant proteins will be the first tool that enables researchers to investigate the mechanism of cancer progression on many proteins in parallel.

Additional protein arrays to be launched in the coming months will contain selected sets of biologically related human proteins including collections of proteins associated with key diseases including cancer and signal transduction.

These arrays will enable understanding of biological pathways and the rapid screening of inhibitors of specific proteins in those pathways.

These products are expected to become broadly used tools by most pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to increase the speed and output of their drug discovery programmes.

Other terms of the exclusive relationship between Sigma-Aldrich and Procognia were not released.

In addition, Procognia has raised new financing totaling $23.5 million.

Participants to support its development efforts included lead investor Apax Partners Funds, as well as other existing investors Evergreen Partners and Koor CVC, and new investor Star Ventures.

David Harvey, Chairman and CEO of Sigma-Aldrich, remarked, "I am pleased that Sigma-Aldrich will have the opportunity to exclusively market a product with the power to finally deliver functional arrays of human proteins.

"This proprietary technology represents a significant advancement over existing protein array technologies, which do not orient nor confer functionality of proteins on the array.

"This leading achievement will dramatically advance proteomic research to further uncover the mechanisms of human disease by enabling researchers to conduct functional assays of large numbers of proteins in a parallel manner.

"We feel that the technology developed by Procognia is the most innovative protein array technology available and the only technology that allows true functional analysis of proteins in parallel".

Ron Long, Procognia's CEO and former CEO of Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, said, "Sigma-Aldrich is emerging as the strongest force in leading edge proteomic tools for the life sciences market today, and I feel that they are the best partner for Procognia's protein function arrays.

"With the human p53 SNP arrays, we will mark a first in functional protein array development and open the door for rapid uptake of the future protein array products that will follow."