Cenix Signs RNAi Research Agreement with SYGNIS

DRESDEN, Germany, November 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Cenix BioScience GmbH, a leading discovery-stage contract research provider and technology developer specialized in RNAi-, microRNA- and high content-driven pharmacology, today announced that it has signed a research agreement with Heidelberg-based SYGNIS Bioscience GmbH & Co. KG, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system.

Under the research agreement's first assignment to advance the SYGNIS KIBRA project, Cenix will apply its long-standing expertise in combining high content screening with gene silencing analyses in cultured human cells, to establish and optimize multi-parametric microscopy-based assays using the Definiens XD image analysis system. Using such assays, Cenix will conduct target validation to prioritize novel therapeutic drug target candidates, thereby accelerating and enriching the SYGNIS drug development pipeline.

"We are delighted to enter into this new relationship with SYGNIS," noted Dr. Christophe Echeverri, CEO/CSO of Cenix. "This project, and the many others like it now ongoing here and throughout the industry, continue to confirm the unparalleled power of RNAi-based experimentation for not only discovering but also validating and de-risking new candidate drug targets".

Financial terms were not disclosed.

About Cenix

Cenix BioScience GmbH conducts contract research and technology development focused on cell-based and in vivo applications of RNA interference (RNAi), miRNA modulation and high content phenotyping to accelerate target discovery, target validation, and the non-clinical development of new drug candidates. Since its inception in 1999, Cenix has built up leading scientific and commercial track records, successfully progressing therapeutic programs for numerous industry and academic partners in a wide range of disease fields. This success is anchored in the consistent application of scientific and technical best practices in fully customized, multi-staged projects designed to offer maximal strategic value with full data transparency and carefully minimized risk. For more information, visit the company's web site: http://www.cenix.com

About SYGNIS

SYGNIS Bioscience GmbH & Co. KG is a part of SYGNIS Pharma AG, a specialized pharmaceutical company that focuses on the research and development of innovative therapies for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), for which there are currently no or only inadequate therapeutic options available. In this field, SYGNIS is concentrating on the clinical development of its drug candidate AX200 for the treatment of acute stroke and on its pre-clinical KIBRA project for the treatment of various forms of dementia. For additional information, visit the company's web site: http://www.sygnis.de

Contact

Dr. Christoph Sachse, Director Cell-based Services, Cenix BioScience GmbH

T: +49-351-4173-0; F: +49-351-4173-109; E: [email protected]; W: http://www.cenix.com/

Cenix and the Cenix BioScience logo are registered trademarks owned by Cenix BioScience GmbH. Definiens and Definiens XD are registered trademarks owned by Definiens AG.

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