Human Longevity acquires San Diego-based Cypher Genomics

Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), a genomics-based, technology-driven company, announced Monday that it has acquired Cypher Genomics, Inc., a leading genome informatics company that offers 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,” said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Human Longevity, Inc. "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."

Cypher has developed and marketed Mantis, proprietary software that provides comprehensive and unbiased interpretation of genomic-sequencing data that allows 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 to aid in genome interpretation as part of Genomics England's 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," Van Zeeland said.  "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.