Synthetic Biologics, Intrexon Initiate Development of Novel Biologics for a Subset of Patients Suffering from IBS

Synthetic Biologics

and Intrexon Corporation

("Intrexon"), a leader in synthetic biology, announced today that they have initiated development of novel biologic approaches for the prevention, as well as the acute and chronic treatment of a subset of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathologies specifically caused by auto-antibodies. Synthetic Biologics intends to utilize intellectual property optioned from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ("Cedars-Sinai"). According to an increasing body of recent work conducted by Cedars-Sinai, a subset of IBS cases appear to be causally initiated by one or more encounters with acute infectious gastroenteritis, such as the foodborne illness, Campylobacter jejuni. Cedars-Sinai has identified a novel autoimmune target for this subset of IBS cases because of the development of cross-reacting antibodies between a bacterial toxin and a protein important for controlling gastrointestinal motility. "We are thrilled to begin work with Intrexon for the development of novel biologic therapeutics targeted at preventing and treating auto-antibody-induced IBS. By accessing Intrexon's proprietary technologies and capabilities, we will