CLEA/IVS/Artemis enter rodent model accord

Japanese companies CLEA Japan and In Vivo Science, together with Germany's Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH, have formed a strategic alliance for the generation, marketing and delivery of genetically-engineered mouse models for the Japanese market. This accord combines Artemis' technology platform in mouse genetics and genomics with CLEA's and IVS' industry-leading position in Japan in rodent breeding, quality control, marketing and distribution, the firms noted.

Artemis has developed and validated methods to modulate gene expression in a mouse in an inducible fashion and the firm has the capability to replace mouse genes with their human ortholog and knock down gene expression using shRNA in a high throughput and rapid fashion. Based on its own or in-licensed intellectual property, Artemis has full freedom to operate in the Japanese market, the firms stated.