Cisbio Bioassays continues to build GPCR investigation platform; research partner Jean-Philippe Pin awarded prestigious Grand Prix Léon Velluz from French Academy of Sciences

Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France — Cisbio Bioassays (www.htrf.com), a member of IBA group and global developer of HTRF® (Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence) technology and services used in assay development and drug screening, today announced the introduction of new ligands into its Tag-lite® cell surface receptor platform catalogue that enable the non-radioactive binding of chemokines. In related news, Tag-lite research partner Dr. Jean-Philippe Pin, head of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the Functional Genomics Institute (IGF)1, was awarded the Grand Prix Léon Velluz from the French Academy of Sciences, one of France’s most prestigious scientific prizes.

Chemokines and chemokine receptors are highly-sensitive and important targets in the study of pathologies such as cancer, hematology, and HIV. Their interaction on the surface of a cell transmits signals following ligand binding, which is difficult to study and possible only by using radioactive methods that can result in high levels of non-specific binding. In September 2009, Cisbio Bioassays introduced a catalogue of an initial selection of peptidic and non-peptidic fluorescent ligands as part of the development of Tag-lite, its cell surface receptor dimerization and ligand binding study platform. These newest ligands now enable scientists to investigate and screen chemokine receptor activity such as CXCR4, using a fluorescent SDF1 homogeneous method that results in reduced non-specific binding and more accurate data.

“The Tag-lite platform addresses GPCR mechanistics and function from broad angles, and we are regularly introducing new extensions which enhance cell receptor ligand binding studies, dimerization studies and eventually other novel ways of investigation,” said François Degorce, head of marketing at Cisbio Bioassays. “In particular, Tag-lite represents a new, non-radioactive alternative to challenging ligand binding assays. This is the fruit of R&D dedication and collaborative research programs that we continue to this day with recognized experts such as Jean-Philippe Pin.”

For nearly a decade, Dr. Pin and his team at IGF have teamed with Cisbio Bioassays to introduce new tools to the field of GPCR studies. He was notably responsible for the testing and validation of Tag-lite for dimerization, one of the platform’s many applications. Created in 1986, the Grand Prix Léon Velluz is awarded every other year by members of France’s Academy of Sciences to scientists worldwide who have made an impact on the chemistry behind human therapeutics. Dr. Pin was recognized by the Academy of Sciences for his work on metabotropic glutamate receptors, GPCRs that offer new therapeutic perspectives on the study of cerebral function.

“Cisbio Bioassays and IGF have combined the know-how of our two organizations to put in place tools which respond to scientific needs in GPCR research,” added Dr. Pin. “I was honored to receive this award which recognizes the importance of specific therapeutic targets in the pharmaceutical industry and, in turn, the impact of French innovation on a global scale.”

GPCRs, with their complex signaling network pathways, are the most important target class studied in the drug discovery industry. Tag-lite combines HTRF and SNAP-tag™ technologies to investigate GPCR network signaling while preserving the functionality of the receptor and the intracellular signaling pathway. Cisbio Bioassays also provides full assay development services for dimerization and binding and, in addition to its evolving ligand catalogue, is developing all-in-one ligand binding kits which will, for the first time, eliminate the need to develop cells in order to perform ligand binding tests.

About Cisbio Bioassays and IBA group

Cisbio Bioassays is a global developer of products and technologies used for in vitro diagnostics and assay development for drug screening procedures. The company pioneered the field of homogenous fluorescence methodologies via its proprietary technology, HTRF®, a highly sensitive, robust technology for the detection of molecular interactions and widely used by the pharmaceutical industry for the high throughput screening stage of drug development. In addition, Cisbio Bioassays produces a selection of biological reagents and methods used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as contract research organizations (CROs). Headquartered in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, with facilities in Bedford, MA, U.S.A. and a network of distributors worldwide, Cisbio Bioassays is a member of the Belgium-based IBA group. Founded in 1986 in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, IBA is primarily active in the medical industry. It develops and markets state-of-the-art equipment and radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition, it uses the scientific expertise thus gained to provide electron accelerators for industrial sterilization and ionization. Listed on the pan-European stock exchange Euronext, IBA is included in the BEL Mid Index (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB). Please visit www.htrf.com and www.iba-worldwide.com for more information about Cisbio Bioassays and IBA.

HTRF® and Tag-lite® are registered trademarks of Cisbio Bioassays

SNAP-tag™ is a trademark of New England Biolabs, Inc.

1 IGF is a research unit of France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Institute of Health and of Medical Research (INSERM) and University of Montpellier