BOSTON, May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ORIG3N, Inc., a
pioneer in regenerative medicine and provider of induced
pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) storage, called LifeCapsule
(www.capsule.life), today announced a strategic collaboration with
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®)
(NYSE: LH). LabCorp has invested in ORIG3N, and will provide
storage for LifeCapsule at its biorepository facilities as well as
perform genetic testing on the stored cells. LabCorp's expertise
will help to accelerate the development of LifeCapsule's specimen
repository.
LifeCapsule's repository is utilized to generate induced
pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These cells can be differentiated
to every other cell type in the human body, which aids in more
accurate disease modeling and drug efficacy testing. The repository
will enable access to a large, genetically diverse population of
iPSCs for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting
development of treatments for a variety of diseases. The strategic
partnership between ORIG3N and LabCorp will increase the utility of
LifeCapsule and establish a well characterized library of
specimens.
"Having access to LabCorp's technical operations, logistics
expertise, and testing platforms is valuable," said Robin Y. Smith, CEO and co-founder at ORIG3N.
"LifeCapsule is rapidly growing into one of the world's largest
cell repositories, and we have collected thousands of samples to
date."
"The collaboration with ORIG3N serves our core mission of
improving health and improving lives," said Jon Meltzer, Senior Vice President of Corporate
Strategy at LabCorp. "As an industry leader in delivering
world class diagnostics, bringing innovative new drugs to market,
and using data to change the way care is delivered, we are excited
to provide new tools to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
to enhance our understanding of an individual's cellular and
genomic health."
LabCorp is the world's leading healthcare diagnostics company,
providing comprehensive clinical laboratory services through
LabCorp Diagnostics, and end-to-end drug development support
through Covance Drug Development. With combined revenue
proforma for the acquisition of Covance in excess of $8.5 billion in 2014 and more than 48,000
employees in over 60 countries, LabCorp offers innovative solutions
to healthcare stakeholders, including physicians, patients and
consumers, biopharmaceutical companies, government agencies,
managed care organizations, hospitals, and clinical labs.
About ORIG3N, Inc.
Boston-based ORIG3N is a biotechnology company
developing breakthrough treatments for rare genetically inherited
diseases with targets in heart, liver and neurodegenerative
indications. Our mission is to further explore and understand
cellular regeneration and to develop transformative applications
for human health. The company's executive team is made up of
industry veterans with greater than 20 years each in the life
sciences marketplace. For more information, visit:
www.orig3n.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orig3n-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-labcorp-300085478.html
SOURCE ORIG3N, Inc.