Shanghai Genomics announces discovery collaboration

Tokyo—Shanghai Genomics Inc., the China-based affiliate of GNI and one of China's leading biotech companies, has agreed to collabo­rate on a drug discovery research project with Centocor, Inc. a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company with a global business in monoclo­nal antibody production and tech­nology. The collaboration, which will involve biological research aimed at understanding inflam­matory signaling pathways, will initially last for a period of 18 months.

"Shanghai Genomics is delighted to be collaborating with Centocor on this exciting project," says Ying Luo, president and CEO of Shanghai Genomics and presi­dent and COO of GNI. "This is yet another validation of the model we have refined with GNI, where we are the first company to combine innovative Western science with cost-efficient research capabilities in China, and access to the Chinese and Japanese pharmaceutical mar­kets."

Shanghai Genomics will use its expertise in protein purification and cell-based interaction assays to explore receptor protein inter­actions and intracellular signal­ing cascades with Centocor. In particular, the research will focus upon the areas of inflammation and oncology.

Utilizing what it calls a "highly efficient yet cost-effective technol­ogy platform," Shanghai Genomics has entered into and completed many research-based collabora­tions with international partners such as Centocor. These collabora­tions with international partners form a crucial pillar of Shanghai Genomics' business and comple­ment the drug discovery work the company conducts with GNI.

Shanghai Genomics was found­ed in August 2001, by returned overseas biotech veterans, Drs. Ying Luo and Jun Wu, with fund­ing from two Chinese venture capital funds—Shanghai Venture Capital Company and Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Corp.