Intrexon Announces a Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation for Type 2 Diabetes Therapies

GERMANTOWN, Md., Dec. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in synthetic biology, announced today that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to discover and develop ActoBiotics® therapies directed against selected targets to treat Type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and/or metabolic disorders related to energy dysregulation. This deal was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Diabetes is one of today's most pressing health problems, afflicting more than 387 million people worldwide at a cost exceeding $376 billion. 

Samuel Broder, M.D., SVP and Head of Intrexon's Health Sector stated, "I am very pleased we are partnering with Janssen to address Type 2 diabetes and related conditions. Through the use of Intrexon's proprietary ActoBiotics® platform, we believe this collaboration will make a significant contribution to this substantial global health issue. The breadth of opportunity to treat an array of diseases with our versatile ActoBiotics® technology continues to expand."

T2D is a chronic syndrome resulting from dysregulation of blood sugar levels. Current treatments generally target only specific aspects of the disease, leaving other related complications insufficiently addressed. Intrexon's ActoBiotics® platform represents an innovative oral delivery system for biological effectors ideally suited to tackle multiple aspects of T2D with the potential to improve efficacy in maintaining glycemic control in the long term.

In addition to treatment of established T2D, the research collaboration will focus on diabetes prevention. To this end, the research collaboration will utilize the ActoBiotics® platform to express certain effectors to help prevent pre-diabetics from progressing into full stage disease. 

About Intrexon Corporation
Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA™ to create biologically-based products that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. The Company's integrated technology suite provides its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design and development of complex biological systems delivering unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living cells. We call our synthetic biology approach Better DNA®, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com.

Trademarks
Intrexon, ActoBiotics, Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA, and Better DNA are trademarks of Intrexon and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business.  Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release.