Transposagen's piggyBac™ Vectors to be Distributed by System Biosciences

LEXINGTON, Ky., and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Transposagen) and System Biosciences (SBI), both leaders in genetic modification technology, have announced a non-exclusive marketing and distribution agreement between the two biotechnology companies involving Transposagen's piggyBac™ technology.

The piggyBac™ Genetic Modification System enables researchers to:

• Alter the genomes of numerous animal species with a simple transfection
• Reprogram somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells
• Perform highly efficient and cost-effective non-viral gene delivery
• Reverse genomic modifications with footprint-free transposon removal

The piggyBac™ DNA transposon technology is already being utilized in multiple research areas, such as gene therapy, regenerative medicine, cell line engineering, and animal model creation. "We are excited to add the world's most efficient and cost-effective non-viral reprogramming technology to our already impressive catalog of stem cell and microRNA research reagents," said Dr. Travis Antes, the Director of Product Development at SBI.  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110511/CL00173LOGO )

Researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries can now purchase piggyBac™ vectors produced with SBI's high standards of manufacturing and quality control. Transposagen's piggyBac™ technology will be paired with SBI's existing leading-edge technologies to further broaden the utility of piggyBac™. SBI will also use piggyBac™ in custom vectors and cell lines for customers. Furthermore, Transposagen and SBI have agreed to collaborate in the production of custom transgenic rats. The collaboration will combine SBI's genomic tools and expertise with Transposagen's piggyBac™ and rat spermatogonial stem cell technology. Researchers will now have access to specialized transgenic rats incorporating SBI's reagents, such as species-specific RNAi, MicroRNAs or anti-MicroRNAs. Rat models with inducible gene expression can also be produced using SBI's SparQ™ cumate switch system, the first inducible system that can be induced with a small molecule that can readily cross the blood-brain and blood-testis barriers.  "The combination of Transposagen and SBI's innovative technologies will now allow researchers to make sophisticated transgenic rat models that may mimic human diseases better than in the past," said Eric Ostertag, President and CEO of Transposagen.      

About Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals:

Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a Lexington, KY-based company, is the worldwide leader in the creation of unique genetically modified rat models.  The company's signature products, TKO™ Knockout Rat Models and TGEM™ Rat Models, mimic human diseases and are used for drug discovery and development research. The company also creates custom transgenic rat models and custom knockout rat models to customer specifications. For more information or to request a custom rat model, visit www.transposagenbio.com.

About System Biosciences (SBI):

System Biosciences (SBI) specializes in developing unique, innovative technologies to provide researchers with the tools to investigate and understand genomic and proteomic function. SBI offers solutions for Lentiviral, Minicircle and piggyBac-mediated gene delivery and knockdown, high-throughput RNAi screens and products for Stem Cell and MicroRNA research. For more information, visit www.systembio.com.

SOURCE Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.; System Biosciences