Axiogenesis, Lonza Cologne announce global distribution agreement

Axiogenesis AG has entered into a worldwide, exclusive distribution agreement with Lonza Cologne AG effective 01 January 2010. The agreement includes Axiogenesis’s current product and service portfolio, including the industry standard Cor.At^® mouse embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. These highly pure and well characterized cells have demonstrated utility in drug discovery, safety pharmacology, and cardiac research programs in both industry and academia.

“We are delighted to have reached a distribution agreement with Lonza.“ says Axiogenesis CFO Bernd Fronhoff. “It allows Axiogenesis to continue to expand its market presence and further concentrate on its core competence, the development of in vitro differentiated pure tissue specific cells and assay systems for drug development."

“We are delighted to have reached a distribution agreement with Lonza.“ says Axiogenesis CFO Bernd Fronhoff. “It allows Axiogenesis to continue to expand its market presence and further concentrate on its core competence, the development of in vitro differentiated pure tissue specific cells and assay systems for drug development.“

Using the Cor.At® cardiomyocytes as a predictive cell model, Axiogenesis has developed an assay to predict cardiac specific cytotoxicity. It is ideal for high throughput screening (HTS) and to identify drug candidates with cardiotoxic effects early in drug development. In addition, Cor.At® cells form the basis of the first physiologically relevant disease model of cardiomyopathy by inducing a state of hypertrophy. Both of these in vitro assays are now offered both as a kit and as a service.

“The Axiogenesis portfolio is an ideal fit with Lonza’s activities and strengthens the Research Solutions’ product and service offering, especially in the field of drug discovery. We are excited to further develop this collaboration as we implement our business strategy,” reflects Dr. Teun van der Heide, Head of Research Solutions in Lonza’s Bioscience business.

These products and services complement Lonza’s market leading Clonetics^® and Poietics^® brands of primary cells and optimized media. The Cor.At^® cardiomyocytes represent Lonza’s first entry into the pluripotent stem cell market with more differentiated cell types planned for launch in 2010.