Company Data

INTRODUCTION

Tm Bioscience Corporation provides enabling genomics technologies and products for the discovery of new medicines and for the diagnosis of human disease.  The Company has advanced proprietary technologies that will improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of DNA microarrays.

Increased awareness of the role of genes in regulating the function of living organisms has generated a worldwide effort to identify the gene sequence of many organisms including the estimated 3 billion base pairs and roughly 100,000 genes within the human genome.  This effort, known as the Human Genome Project (HGP), is fueling the development of new technologies, in particular, DNA microarray technology, which provides an automated high-throughput platform for deciphering the sequence and expression pattern of genes, thousands at a time.

Tm has developed novel proprietary DNA technologies that are applicable in the fields of target/drug discovery and molecular diagnostics.  These applications include the detection of person-to-person genetic variations called “Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms”, or SNPs that will identify individuals at risk for disease, individuals who are candidates for specific drug treatments, and individuals who might be susceptible to specific adverse drug reactions.  Another application of Tm’s technologies is in gene expression profiling studies that compare the levels at which genes are expressed in healthy and diseased individuals in order to correlate differences in the disease condition.  Identified genes will offer the potential to develop novel therapeutics to treat the disease.

Tm COMPANY TECHNOLOTY 

Tm has assembled two technology platforms that it believes have direct application to DNA microarray technology and other DNA based assays.  The Company refers to these two platforms as HybAssist and SignalAssist.  A key feature of the Company technologies is that they can be applied individually or collectively.  HybAssist consists of three novel and proprietary technologies – Sequence Design Engine, Hairpin Capture Probes and Ligand Controlled Hybridization.  Each of these technologies addresses important issues affecting the current application of DNA microarray technology.

Tm Technology Platform

MARKET 

Driven by the need to reduce development costs, the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are making major commitments to fully exploit genomics-derived technologies in their R&D programs.  It is estimated that more than 60% of current drug development programs are based on genomics, up from 8% in 1996.  The combined genomics-based drug discovery and molecular diagnostics/screening markets are estimated at $3.3 billion today and expected to reach $6.5 billion through 2005. 

While much of the drug development is carried out by pharmaceutical companies themselves, a significant component of it is currently in the hands of biotech companies who intend to sell their products to pharmaceutical companies and other players in the healthcare market. 

Healthcare providers (Governments, HMO’s) who supply patients with treatments will use DNA microarray technology to identify patients for specific medical treatments and preventative healthcare programs.  They will also be able to identify potential drug side effects in advance.  The ability to apply DNA microarray biochips to maximize patient outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs is becoming a reality. 

Tm’s technologies can be used to enhance any of the current DNA-based analytical techniques and platforms.  This feature creates an opportunity for Tm to access the largest possible DNA microarray market and provide support to almost any drug-development company or healthcare provider. 

TRADEMARKS AND PATENTS 

Tm has filed the following trademarks for goods and services in the field of DNA detection and hybridization: HybAssist™ and SignalAssist™. 

Tm plans to protect all of its technology concepts, inventions and improvements by filing patent applications in a timely fashion.  New patents are filed provisionally in the United States and within one year are filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) designating the US, Europe, Japan and additional countries on a selective basis. 

Tm’s current patent portfolio is comprised of 14 issued and/or pending inventions.  These patents relate to the Company’s Hairpin Capture Probe, Signal Amplification technology and Sequence Design Engine.  Tm is not aware of contradicting or competing patents that are pending or that have been granted. 

Tm Bioscience is actively pursuing the filing of additional patents to expand the breadth of protection surrounding its key technologies.  During 2000, Tm intends to file at least four more patents related to , and expanding the coverage of, the Company’s platform technologies including the Sequence Design Engine, Hairpin Capture Probes, Ligand Controlled Hybridization and Signal Amplification Technology. 

MANAGEMENT 

Officers and Senior Executives 

Gregory C. Hines – President and CEO 

Richard Janeczko, Ph.D. – Executive Vice-President 

Roman L. Zawstany – Vice-President Product Development 

David D. Wales, C.M.A. – Controller 

Albert S. Benight, Ph.D. – Scientific Program Director 

R. Randall MacEwan – Corporate Secretary

Directors

W. Geoffrey Beattie – President, The Woodbridge Company Ltd.

John Fredrick – Vice-President, Finance, Galen Holdings Ltd.

Neil Reid, Ph.D. – Senior Vice-President, MDS Sciex 

Richard L. Lockie – Senior Vice-President, MDS Capital Corporation 

Scientific Advisory Board 

Albert S. Benight, Ph.D. – Scientific Program Director, Tm Bioscience Corporation 

R. Christopher Bleackley, Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. 

Jonathan Chaires, Ph.D. – Professor of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Centre, Jackson, MS. 

Jerrie Gavalchin, Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY. 

Donald E. Low, M.D. – Chief-Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai and Princess Margaret Hospitals; Professor of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Toronto. 

Bernard J. Poiesz, M.D. – Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology, SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY. 

J. Michael Schurr, Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 

Nadrian C. Seeman, Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY. 

Richard D. Sheardy, Ph.D. – Professor and Chairman, Department of Chemistry, Seton Hall University, New Jersey.

Roger M. Wartell, Ph.D. – Professor and Head of the School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology. 

NEWS UPDATE 

On June 14, 2000, Tm announced that U.S. Patents #6,060,248 and #6,027,884 have been granted for Tm’s DNA sequence and ligand design optimization methods.  The two patents cover different aspects of the Company’s DNA analysis technologies, thermodynamic approach to Ligand Controlled Hybridization (LCH) and sequence selection for DNA binding ligands.  The result can strengthen Tm’s patent portfolio. 

On April 28, 2000, Tm announced that they entered into an agreement with the Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI) Microarray Facility at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto on DNA biochip (microarray) technology.  Under terms of the agreement OCI will provide Tm with biochip development and technical services for its Tm-ONE DNA biochip technology access platform.  The Tm-ONE platform provides early access for proprietary, high performance technologies that enable high quality information output from DNA biochips or microarrays.

Copyright (c) 2000 Chinese Investment Club Inc.
All Right Reserved. Do not duplicate or redistributed in any form.
版權所有, 未經同意, 不得以任何形式轉載或翻印