Overview

ExonHit Therapeutics SA is a functional analysis company that is developing diagnostic and pharmacogenomics tools as well as ready-for-development compounds for cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

By using its proprietary qualitative gene profiling DATAS (Differential Analysis of Transcripts with Alternative Splicing) platform, ExonHit is able to characterize and compare splicing alterations that occur as part of disease progression or upon exposure to certain drugs with its Signal-Hit service. Customers of Safe-Hit, a predictive toxicology kit, include Aventis, Parke-Davis and Bayer. The company also is developing Proof-Hit, a series of diagnostic tools to select the best treatments for cancer patients.

In January 2001, ExonHit opened its wholly owned subsidiary, ExonHit Therapeutics Inc., in Gaithersburg, Md. The facility will focus on both the commercialization of Safe-Hit and the extension of the company’s therapeutic research programs.

Partners

Drug discovery program to identify new molecular targets: Allergan Inc.

Strategic alliance to develop unique cancer diagnostic/prognostic Proof-Hit product for breast cancer: The Curie Institute.

Marketing of gene-profiling products in Asia: Sosei Co. Ltd.

Joint gene discovery research program in head and neck cancers: Rhone Poulenc Rorer, a subsidiary of Rhone-Poulenc SA.