Human Longevity announces acquisition of Cypher Genomics

Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), the genomics-based, technology-driven company, announced today that the company has acquired Cypher Genomics, Inc., a leading genome informatics company offering highly accurate, rapid and robust human genomic interpretation software solutions. The San Diego-based company has 14 employees who will join HLI including Cypher CEO and Co-founder, Ashley Van Zeeland, Ph.D., who is now the head of HLI's Pediatric Business. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

"Cypher Genomics has created important automated and scalable genome interpretation technology informed by additional expertise in genetics and biology that we believe will be invaluable to HLI's business. The Cypher team, led by Dr. Van Zeeland, is a very impressive group of scientists who will be crucial in augmenting HLI's already unparalleled and comprehensive genomic database business," said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, HLI.

Cypher has developed and marketed Mantis™, proprietary software which provides comprehensive and unbiased interpretation of genomic sequencing data enabling customers to rapidly uncover clinically significant variants. The company has also developed Coral™, a biomarker discovery service.

Industry collaborators for these products include: Celgene, Illumina and Sequenom. Cypher also has a number of key academic collaborations including: Scripps Translational Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania, and Clinic for Special Children. Cypher, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, was also recently selected as one of the finalists in the Genomics England bidding process to aid in genome interpretation as part of their 100,000 Genomes Project.

"At Cypher we saw an unmet need for automated interpretation of human genome sequencing data. We developed Mantis and Coral to provide rapid, automated, genome interpretation at scale enabling disease gene identification, population-based studies, diagnostic development and biomarker identification," said Dr. Van Zeeland. "We look forward to joining the HLI team and to helping advance HLI's mission of applying the power of human genomics and informatics to improve healthcare."

HLI has created the world's largest and most comprehensive database of whole genome, phenotype and clinical data. The company is developing and applying large-scale computing and machine learning to make novel discoveries to revolutionize the practice of medicine. HLI enables customers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, insurance, academic and government sectors.