ValiGene S.A and Kimeragen, Inc. announced in February 2000 that they would merge to create ValiGen, a EuroAmerican functional genomics company. The newly formed ValiGen will combine the genomics platform under development at Valigene with chimeraplasty, the unique gene correction technology being developed at Kimeragen. The new company will pursue commercial opportunities for its technologies in three areas: ValiGen will apply its genomics and chimeraplasty technologies to the identification and validation of novel targets for therapeutic intervention against major diseases, both for commercial partners and for its own account. ValiGen will explore aggressively the potential for chimeraplast-based gene repair therapeutics to treat human diseases associated with particular mutations. ValiGen will work with commercial partners in the global agriculture and food industries to use both genomics and chimeroplasty in order to achieve seed and crop improvements without introducing exogenous genetic material into the seed.
