Collaboration extends cancer research tools

Cambridge Enterprise portfolio company Horizon Discovery is to link custom cell biology assays from contract researchers Hypoxium with its proprietary isogenic cell lines to offer a new range of services to help researchers identify drugs that target cancer-causing genetic defects.

Lung cancer cell grown on a glass cover slip

Horizon Discovery’s panel of genetically defined human disease models, isogenic cell-lines, are human knock-in or knock-out cell-lines, which Horizon says, represent accurate models of defined cancer patient populations and their matched normal genetic counterparts.

Dan Cowell, CEO of Hypoxium, said: “Working with Horizon Discovery is an excellent fit with our strategy of increasing our oncology-focused cell biology offering with technologies that will benefit our clients’ discovery programs. By working with leaders in the field, such as Horizon, we can continue to expand the tools available to researchers in cancer.”

The collaboration aims to contribute to optimising personalised drug discovery at the level of target selection, compound generation and target patient profiling in clinical trials.

Chris Torrance, CEO of Horizon Discovery, said: “Our extensive panel of isogenic human cancer cell-lines is a key previously missing tool to understanding the link between drug behaviour and patient genetic mutation. Hypoxium and Horizon Discovery have a shared vision to accelerate the discovery of new and improved personalised cancer treatments and together we will be able to offer clients a wide range of cost-effective routes to do this.”

The service is available to pharmaceutical and biotech companies on standard commercial terms. Academic organisations will be able to send compounds for drug profiling on a scheduled monthly basis.