Icosagen In The News

Enterprise Estonia issued a grant to Icosagen Cell Factory

Icosagen Cell Factory has received an applied reseach grant from Enterprise Estonia to develop a technology for cell-based assay construction that utilises elements from QMCF Technology proprietary to the company. The reseach grant is MEUR 1. The total amount of the R&D project is MEUR 1.5. The project starts on 1 September and lasts for a period of two years.

QMCF Technology for cell-based assays

Cell-based assays have been developed and used in drug development for high-throughput drug target screening in the drug discovery process. Although biochemical assays are the dominant tool for high-throughput, cell-based assays serve as supplemantary tools in that they provide an early functional response to living cells coming in contact with drug candidates.

Icosagen Cell Factory’s proprietary QMCF Technology has been validated for use in both the production of proteins and for the development of cell based assays. During this research project, the regulatory elements of the QMCF Technology will be combined to develop new adherent mammalian cell lines that support maintenance and replication of extrachromosomal DNA elements (vectors). The extrachromosomal maintenance of DNA enables the construction of assays more rapidly and thus more cost-effectively than using traditional cell line development methods. The benefit of this new QMCF cell-based assay platform is the opportunity to examine two to three targets in parallel, in the same assay, and construct signal transduction pathways.

Icosagen Cell Factory

Icosagen Cell Factory OÜ, established in 2005, is dedicated to the development of the portfolio of QMCF technology-based applications and offers services and licensing of the technology to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The QMCF Technology for protein production is licensed out to four major pharmaceutical companies. The Technology is patented in Europe. Patent applications have been filed in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. The R&D work to develop the QMCF protein production technology during 2005-2008 was financed by Enterprise Estonia. The Icosagen Cell Factory belongs to the Icosagen Group.

Enterprise Estonia

Enterprise Estonia, established in 2000, promotes business and regional development in Estonia. Enterprise Estonia is one of the largest institutions within the national support system for entrepreneurship, providing financial assistance, advice, cooperation opportunities and training for entrepreneurs, research establishments, the public and third sectors.

Pursuant to the accession of Estonia to the European Union, Enterprise Estonia became one of the implementing units of European Union Structural Funds in Estonia. Today, most of the Enterprise Estonia programs and grants offered are co-financed from the EU Structural Funds. During the 2007-2013 financing period of the European Union, BEEK 13, out of more than BEEK 53 of structural assistance for Estonia, will be applied by Enterprise Estonia. More information: http://www.eas.ee/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 
Andres Tover, CSO
E-mail: andres.tover[at]icosagen.com 

Marit Jaaska, Business Development Manager
E-mail: marit.jaaska[at]icosagen.com