TGR BioSciences acquired by Sygnis AG (now Expedeon AG)

Heidelberg, Germany and Cambridge, UK, 08 May 2018 – SYGNIS AG (Frankfurt: LIO1; ISIN: DE000A1RFM03; Prime Standard) today announced the completion of the acquisition of TGR Biosciences (TGR), the Australian research reagents company. TGR and its highly complementary technologies and products along with its strong customer base will significantly contribute to the overall performance of the SYGNIS Group. SYGNIS is currently assessing the impact the acquisition will have on its previous 2018 full year financial guidance and will announce this as soon as this review is complete.

 
Dr. Heikki Lanckriet, CEO and CSO of SYGNIS, said: “The acquisition of TGR Biosciences with its complementary business portfolio is a perfect fit for SYGNIS and an important step in our ‘Grow, Buy and Build strategy’ – we are very excited about our joint future. Both, TGR Biosciences and the SYGNIS Group will benefit from increasing sales and cross selling synergies, which will further strengthen our market position and provide further opportunities for growth.”

 
The acquisition, priced in Australian Dollars at approximately EUR 10.1 million (net of cash acquired with the business) comprising cash, loan notes and a share based earn out, brings TGR into the SYGNIS Group. The acquisition was financed by the recent capital increase, where SYGNIS raised gross proceeds of EUR 4.2 million in a private placement with institutional investors. Additionally, SYGNIS obtained a debt finance in the amount of EUR 2 million to complete the acquisition. SYGNIS has the right to exchange the debt finance into a mandatory convertible bond with additional option rights for approximately 1.4 million shares. The volume of the convertible bond and the conversion price will depend upon market conditions at the time SYGNIS utilizes such right if SYGNIS decides so which is likely.

 
TGR offers a strong complementary product portfolio including patented best-in-class protein capturing technology, fitting with SYGNIS’ range of products and services to support the immunology, genomic and proteomic markets. TGR’s technology and R&D facilities will be fully integrated into the SYGNIS group, and trade under the Expedeon brand in the near future.

 
About SYGNIS AG: www.sygnis.com
SYGNIS develops and commercialises value-added, easy-to-use, reliable products for genomics and proteomics research based on its proprietary technologies, offering a wide range of solutions that address key challenges in molecular biology. With applications spanning the entire molecular biology workflow, the Group’s cutting-edge offerings include easy-to-use off-the-shelf products as well as custom services, supporting scientists from academia through to commercial manufacturing. SYGNIS’ products are sold through a direct sales force and several distribution partners in Europe, the USA and Asia. SYGNIS AG has offices in Germany, Spain, UK, USA and Singapore which trade under the Expedeon brand. The Company is listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Ticker: LIO1; ISIN: DE000A1RFM03).

TGR BioSciences Expands Alpha SureFire® Ultra™ Multiplex for Phosphoprotein detection

TGR BioSciences is proud to announce the global availability of Alpha Terbium SureFire® Ultra™ (TBSU) assay kits. These new kits can be easily combined with existing AlphaLISA® SureFire Ultra (ALSU) kits to provide high throughput capability of multiplexed phosphoprotein detection in a homogeneous assay format.

The new kits combine PerkinElmer, Inc.’s highly sensitive and homogeneous Alpha (Amplified Luminescent Proximity Homogenous Assay) detection chemistry with TGR’s patented CaptSure™ Multiplex technology to allow the measurement of two phosphoprotein targets in each assay well in a mix-and-read format. The portfolio is available exclusively through PerkinElmer.

This powerful combination of technologies means scientists now have an enhanced flexibility in selection of measurement of two phosphoproteins, through the pick-and-pack combination of virtually any two phosphoprotein targets from the AlphaLISA SureFire Ultra (ALSU, Europium wavelength channel) and Terbium SureFire Ultra (TBSU, terbium wavelength channel) kit portfolios. Over 1000 permutations of dual assay target measurement are possible with these products.

Scientists can decide at the time of experiment which targets they want to measure in Multiplex format, and pick their ALSU and TBSU kit targets on hand, rather than having to preselect targets days or weeks earlier. This will provide greatly enhanced levels of scientific discovery, contributing to scientific research and drug discovery efforts around the world. The ground-breaking assay system therefore provides not only high sensitivity, speed and simplicity, but also the potential for user-defined target selection.

TGR plans to further expand the portfolio of assay kits in the future, providing an even greater discovery capability in research and development applications.

Please visit www.tgrbio.com  for more information and to view the full product listing.

AUSTRALIAN BIOTECH LAUNCHES “GAME-CHANGING” IMMUNOASSAY

Leading Australian biotechnology company, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR), has today announced the launch of its new Multiplexing Immunoassay, CaptSure™ Multiplex – broadening the application of its globally recognised patented immunoassay technology, CaptSure™.

The new product, CaptSure™ Multiplex, builds upon TGR’s innovative CaptSure™ system for single protein target analysis, to now test and analyse multiple proteins in a single sample – opening up significant global market opportunities for TGR.

Due to the speed and simplicity of CaptSure™ immunoassay technology for antibody-based assays, CaptSure™ Multiplex assays provide faster assay development times and reduce the cost of manufacturing, allowing TGR and its collaborators to develop rapid assays at a fraction of the cost of conventional immunoassay systems.

Anne Hinton, CEO of TGR, said that the clear benefits afforded by CaptSure™ in the market for single target measurement can now be applied across a breadth of different multiplexing assay systems, including ELISA, bead-based assays, and lateral flow systems.

“CaptSure™ Multiplex really is a game-changer for the protein assay market, which is moving rapidly toward multi-target analysis,” Ms Hinton said. “Our new multiplexing immunoassay will streamline these product developments and greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing.”

As opposed to conventional multiplexing immunoassay systems – where the assay antibodies are often directly coupled to the plate or bead surface – TGR’s CaptSure™ Multiplex technology provides a generic CaptSure™ surface for each assay antibody, allowing it to specifically bind to the substrate.

As a result, CaptSure™ Multiplex eliminates the need to manufacture specific surfaces for each target, making assay development easier and faster.

This is another exciting step for the South Australian based biotech company, which recently announced its fourth international license agreement, and fourth US Patent, for its CaptSure™ immunoassay technology.

 

Established in 2001, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR) is a private company located in Adelaide, Australia. TGR provides innovative solutions for biological research applications, with expertise in cell biology, biochemistry and immunoassay design. TGR’s high quality products have been used successfully in drug discovery programs around the world.

FOURTH US PATENT GRANTED TO TGR BIOSCIENCES

Globally recognised Australian biotech company, TGR BioSciences, has today announced the award of its fourth US Patent, covering extended aspects of its innovative CaptSure™ immunoassay technology, known to be faster and more sensitive than its competitors.

This fourth US Patent (9,778,252) follows three recently acquired US Patents (9,261,500 in 2016, 9,086,407 in 2015, and 9,476,874 in January 2017) granted to TGR BioSciences’ CaptSure™ technology, which has a wide range of potential applications, from clinical diagnostics to the detection of plant diseases.

The US Patent specifically encapsulates the application of TGR’s CaptSure™ technology, which is a revolutionary antibody immobilization system, to TGR’s SureFire Ultra bead-based detection system.

Chief Scientific Officer at TGR, Dr Antony Sheehan, said that the granting of this patent will secure TGR’s intellectual property surrounding SureFire Ultra, and as such, will provide greater opportunities for expanding the application of the technology globally.

“The addition of CaptSure™ technology to our SureFire Ultra assay system will greatly enhance capabilities for our clients to develop new drugs for curing disease,” Dr Sheehan said.

“We expect the granting of this US Patent to further encourage the use of this technology across many fields.

“The use of SureFire Ultra with CaptSure™ in both research and development, as well as drug development programs around the world is expanding, and so directly contributing to the global effort for improving health outcomes.”

CaptSure™ technology is adaptable to a variety of testing formats, including: ELISA, beads and lateral flow. It provides greatly reduced manufacturing costs and rapid product development times and this US Patent consolidates TGR’s position as major player in the international biotechnology industry.

Established in 2001, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR) is a private company located in Adelaide, Australia. TGR provides innovative solutions for biological research applications, with expertise in cell biology, biochemistry and immunoassay design. TGR’s high quality products have been used successfully in drug discovery programs around the world.

TGR ANNOUNCES LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH US LIFE SCIENCES COMPANY

Adelaide-based biotechnology company, TGR BioSciences, has today announced a license agreement with United States based Life Sciences company, Cell Signaling Technology. It’s the fourth license agreement signed since TGR was granted the first of several US Patents for its innovative CaptSure™ immunoassay technology in late 2015.

The license agreement with Cell Signaling Technology will provide non-exclusive access to TGR’s CaptSure™ technology, as well as proprietary antibody tagging and conjugation knowhow for the development of single-target plate-based immunoassays, such as ELISA assays.

Anne Hinton, CEO of TGR BioSciences, said that the license agreement would bring the two companies closer together and enable further collaboration.

“The association of TGR with Cell Signaling Technology brings together two privately owned and operated companies with complementary expertise,” she said.

“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Cell Signaling Technology further, through the combination of our resources”.

In comparison to conventional assays, which usually involve three separate incubations over several hours or more, CaptSure™ technology only requires a single incubation period and can be performed within an hour, without compromising sensitivity or quality.

The simple and robust format of CaptSure™ greatly reduces the costs of labour in medium and high-throughput screening laboratories and delivers more flexibility for planning of QA/QC operations to the industry. Therefore, CaptSure™ technology is the new gold standard for high-throughput immunoassay technology development around the world.

Cell Signaling Technology’s Chief Scientific Officer, Roberto Polakiewicz, said that CaptSure™ technology will be a welcome addition to their product line, due to its speed and accuracy.

Established in 2001, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR) is a private company located in Adelaide, Australia. TGR provides innovative solutions for biological research applications, with expertise in cell biology, biochemistry and immunoassay design. TGRs high quality products have been used successfully in drug discovery programs around the world.

US PATENT BROADENS TGR IMMUNOASSAY APPLICATION

Australian biotechnology company, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR), has today announced the issuance of its third US Patent covering extended aspects of TGR’s innovative CaptSure™ immunoassay technology, including the use of non-antibody binding agents.
The issuance of this third US Patent (9,476,874) follows two recent US Patents (9,261,500 in 2016 and 9,086,407 in 2015) granted to TGR BioSciences’ CaptSure™ technology, which provides a new rapid process to develop and manufacture testing systems across a variety of industries, including diagnostics, drug discovery and life science research.
Director of Business Development at TGR, Dr Michael Crouch, said that the possession of three US Patents has broadened the scope of TGR’s protected technology, which will allow the growing biotechnology company to access more markets and provide solutions to further challenges.

“With this US Patent protection our CaptSure™ technology can now reach a larger application base across industries, providing new benefits to a range of companies around the world, including clinical and plant diagnostics providers,” Dr Crouch said.

“These high value applications will not only benefit researchers, manufacturers and industry, they will also contribute to society as a whole, as the technology will provide faster, more accurate and lower cost diagnostic testing.

“CaptSure™ technology is adaptable to a variety of testing formats, including: ELISA, beads and lateral flow, and provides greatly reduced manufacturing costs and rapid product development times – this Patent consolidates TGR’s position as major player in the international biotechnology industry.”

Established in 2001, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd (TGR) is a private company located in Adelaide, Australia. TGR provides innovative solutions for biological research applications, with expertise in cell biology, biochemistry and immunoassay design. TGR’s high quality products have been used successfully in drug discovery programs around the world.

TGR BioSciences Now Offers Alpha SureFire® Ultra™ Multiplex

TGR BioSciences is proud to announce the global availability of Alpha SureFire® Ultra™ Multiplex, the first homogeneous multiplexing assay kit for phosphoprotein research. The new kits combine PerkinElmer Inc.’s highly sensitive and homogeneous Alpha (Amplified Luminescent Proximity Homogenous Assay) detection chemistry with TGR’s patented CaptSure™ technology to allow the measurement of two targets in each assay well in a mix-and-read format. The portfolio is available exclusively through PerkinElmer.

This powerful combination of technologies means double the data information per assay point, with the potential for users to mix-and-match target selection for the dual measurement from the expanding list of PerkinElmer’s AlphaLISA® SureFire® Ultra™ research kits.

The first products on-market are phospho/total assay kits. Measuring endogenous cellular phosphoproteins plus the total levels can now be achieved in all types of cellular extracts, including cultured cells, tissue lysates, and in samples containing high levels of antibodies. Such samples include those where antibody biotherapeutics are being evaluated for efficacy.

TGR plans to continue integrating PerkinElmer technology to expand the portfolio to measure two phosphoproteins at the same time. The ground-breaking assay system provides not only high sensitivity, speed and simplicity, but also the potential for user-defined target selection.

Please visit www.tgrbio.com or www.perkinelmer.com for more information and to view the full product listing.

TGR ANNOUNCES SECOND US PATENT GRANTED FOR IMMUNOASSAY TECHNOLOGY

TGR BioSciences is pleased to announce the issuance of its second US Patent in six months, covering key aspects of TGR’s innovative immunoassay technology, including TGR’s CaptSure™ products.

TGR’s technology accelerates and simplifies immunoassay procedures, and is applicable to many areas of biology, including life sciences, clinical diagnostics, and plant disease detection.

The issuance of US Patent (9,261,500) comes just six months after TGR BioSciences’ CaptSure™ technology was granted a US Patent (9,086,407) and covers additional aspects of TGRs CaptSure™ products including its ELISA and bead-based offerings.
The combination of the two Patents gives TGR exclusive rights to licence its technology to researchers and manufacturers around the world.

TGR’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Antony Sheehan, said that TGR’s innovative technology enables not only faster, easier, and more versatile assays, but also significantly reduces manufacturing costs.

“These advantages translate to a very high value technology for TGR and increased benefits for the industry,” Dr Sheehan said.
“In addition to our existing CaptSure™ products this Patent allows us to expand our technology offer to include other assay formats including microfluidics products.

“In each case, the benefits of faster, easier and lower cost assays can be delivered to a variety of market segments, including clinical diagnostics, drug development, and agriculture.”

As opposed to conventional multi-incubation and multi-wash immunoassays, TGR’s CaptSure™ technology format requires only a single incubation and wash step — made possible by incubating the sample with both ‘capture’ and ‘detector’ antibodies at the same time.
“Our CaptSure™ technology has become the ‘gold standard’ immunoassay in partner laboratories and biomedical companies around the world,” Dr Sheehan said.

“The award of this additional patent means we can now broaden our partnerships with other bio-manufacturing companies and laboratories to expand the use of this technology.”