Steve Rees (AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN))

Rees, Steve (AstraZeneca 201712 VP Discovery Biology)

	Organisation	AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN)
	Group	AstraZeneca (Group)
	Product	drug discovery
	Product 2	drug screening (HTS)

Genedata AG. (12/19/17). "Press Release: Genedata Screener Celebrates 15 Years of Increasing In-Vitro Screening Efficiency at Global Pharmas, Biotechs, and CROs". Basel.

Ongoing innovation drives continued adoption of the market-leading software platform for lead discovery in pharmaceutical R&D

Genedata, a leading provider of advanced software solutions for R&D, today announced the 15-year anniversary of Genedata Screener®, the industry’s most widely-used platform for all in-vitro screening. Analyzing, visualizing, and managing all types of data from screening assays, Genedata Screener is relied on by the majority of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies as well as many biotechnology companies, contract research organizations (CROs), and academic screening centers. Out-of-the-box, the solution supports a variety of screening technologies for small and large molecules. The platform is continuously developed at pace with screening science innovations as demonstrated by its recent extension for safety screens using automated patch clamp technology. Customers report significant gains in operational efficiency through data workflow automation and the harmonization of data analytical processes across an R&D organization.

Industry Collaborations Drive Innovation

Importing and analyzing data from any screening instrument, Genedata Screener supports complex experimental setups from low to ultra-high throughput. From its inception in 2002, annual releases of Genedata Screener are fueled by ongoing collaboration with customers and technology partners alike. This collaborative approach to continuous solution innovation is reflected in the long-standing Genedata partnership with AstraZeneca.

“The analysis and visualization capabilities of Screener are quite powerful, and the overall platform makes complex technologies and experiments accessible to all scientists,” said Steve Rees, vice president of discovery biology at AstraZeneca. “Our close collaboration with the Genedata team has enabled Screener’s ongoing development to address real-world screening requirements, which ultimately makes life in the screening lab a lot easier.”

Future-proof Screening Data Analysis

Genedata Screener is the result of a development process that for 15 years has focused on software quality and deep scientific domain knowledge encoded into the platform. Each Screener release raises the bar on workflow automation and enables screening scientists to fully exploit the value of the latest generation of screening technologies, such as:

• Automated Patch Clamp
• Biophysical Screening (including SPR and TSA)
• Combination Screening
• Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK)
• High Content Screening (HCS)
• High-Throughput Flow Cytometry
• Deep Learning for HCS image analysis

“Genedata Screener’s success reaffirms our continued commitment to automating complex screening processes,” said Dr. Othmar Pfannes, CEO of Genedata. “We are passionate about nurturing industry collaborations that tackle the rapidly evolving science of drug discovery and the increasing sophistication of laboratory automation and intelligent laboratory systems. Moreover, we see new applications in large molecule screening and the emergence of AI approaches, such as Deep Learning, which will expand options and reduce lead discovery cycle times. Working with our customers, we are excited to see the effect these new developments will have on pharmaceutical R&D.”

About Genedata

Genedata transforms data into intelligence with innovative software solutions and domain-specific consulting services that automate complex, large-scale experimental processes and enable organizations to maximize the ROI from their R&D. Founded in 1997, Genedata is headquartered in Switzerland and has offices in Germany, the UK, Japan, and the US.

Disclaimer

The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, developing risks, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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