Washington Editor

Sangamo BioSciences Inc. agreed to build an engineered cell line overexpressing a specific ion channel gene for research being conducted by Icagen Inc.

Financial terms require Icagen, of Research Triangle Park, N.C., to pay an up-front fee and research funding, as well as product development milestones and royalties. Detailed terms were not disclosed.

However, Edward Lanphier, president and CEO of Richmond, Calif.-based Sangamo, told BioWorld Today that the agreement is nonexclusive. "Once we've made this cell line, Icagen obviously will use it, but we can also use it internally or with other partners."

Sangamo will engineer the cell line using its zinc finger DNA-binding protein-transcription factor (ZFP-TF) technology. Once that's done, Icagen will take over, using the line for high-throughput, small-molecule screening.

"Our technology allows us to engineer transcription factors, so they will target whatever gene we want to target, and then use that to turn on or turn off the expression of that endogenous gene," Lanphier said. "And now, we've done over 30 corporate collaborations all involved in turning on or turning off endogenous genes."

Sangamo has collaborations with the likes of Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J., and Pharmacia Corp., of Peapack, N.J.

Officials at Icagen declined to speak with BioWorld Today; however, Kay Wagoner, company president and CEO, released a prepared statement that said: "The Sangamo team has developed a unique approach to the development of cell lines, which we believe will be very useful in our high-throughput screening efforts. We are delighted to be working with this talented and innovative group of scientists as we continue to accelerate our efforts to develop novel compounds for multiple promising ion channel targets."

From a business standpoint, Lanphier said, "We can provide our partner with freedom to operate' around a specific gene because we turn on the endogenous gene and do not use any issued patents or filed patents around that gene."

Icagen, a privately held company, focuses exclusively on ion channels as drug targets. The company has a product in Phase II clinical trials for sickle-cell disease. It has an agreement with Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Ill., to discover and develop small-molecule drugs for the treatment of neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Also, Icagen has preclinical programs in urinary incontinence and atrial fibrillation.

Sangamo's stock (NASDAQ:SGMO) closed Wednesday at $5.10, up 10 cents.