BioWorld International Correspondent

PARIS - IntegraGen SA established a subsidiary, IntegraGen Inc., in New York, for the commercialization of its molecular diagnostic tests in the U.S.

Robert Gottlieb, who joined IntegraGen five months ago as vice-president for global sales and marketing, has been appointed CEO of the U.S. subsidiary, a post he is combining with his existing position in France.

IntegraGen, which is based at the Genopole, the biotechnology science and business park at Evry, south of Paris, is developing individualized diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests for a range of complex diseases using a proprietary gene mapping technology platform called GenomeHIP (Genome Hybrid Identity Profiling).

The technology has enabled IntegraGen to identify and patent genes associated with early and late-onset diseases. The company is focusing on four main pathologies - Type-II diabetes, obesity, autism and bipolar disorder - and is developing a pipeline of fully integrated genetic tests called IntegraTests for the prediction, prevention and diagnosis of these diseases and the tailoring of personalized treatments for individual patients.

The company plans to initiate a clinical trial of its first diagnostic test for autism, based on internally identified genes, in the first quarter of 2007.

In addition to its French headquarters, from where it provides customized genetic services, such as genotyping and BAC array services, to the research community, it has a diabetes competence center in Bonn, Germany, which provides diagnostic testing and counseling services and was recently granted ISO 17025 accreditation for the performance of human genetic analyses.