LEXICON GENETICS AND XOMA SIGN COLLABORATION DEAL

Lexicon Genetics and XOMA have formed a collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize antibody drugs for certain targets discovered by Lexicon.

The collaboration is designed to combine Lexicon's target discovery and biotherapeutics capabilities with XOMA's antibody generation, process development and manufacturing expertise to accelerate the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic antibodies.

During the three-year initial term, Lexicon will select for submission to the collaboration targets from among those discovered and analyzed in its Genome5000 program. In this program, Lexicon is using its gene knockout technology to discover the physiological functions of 5,000 potential drug targets. XOMA will generate or engineer antibodies that modulate the collaboration's targets using phage display libraries and its proprietary Human Engineering technology.

Lexicon and XOMA have already selected an initial target for inclusion in the collaboration. This target is a secreted protein that, when knocked out, results in leanness, resistance to diet-induced obesity and enhanced insulin sensitivity. Antibodies to this target might have utility in the treatment of Type II diabetes, obesity and metabolic diseases. Lexicon has agreed to submit at least two other targets for consideration by the collaboration during the initial term.