Scenic Biotech was founded in March 2017 as a spin-out of the University of Oxford and the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The company is based on the Cell-seq technology developed by co-founders Sebastian Nijman and Thijn Brummelkamp in their academic labs.
Cell-seq is a large-scale genetic screening platform that allows the identification of genetic modifiers – or disease suppressors - that act to decrease the severity of a disease. These disease-specific genetic modifiers are difficult to identify by more traditional population genetics approaches, especially in the case of rare genetic diseases. By mapping all the genetic modifiers that can influence the severity of a particular disease, Cell-seq unveils a new class of potential drug targets that can be taken forward for drug development.
In a deal worth $375m, Scenic Biotech has recently entered into a strategic collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. This will enable discovery, development and commercialisation of novel therapeutics that target genetic modifiers.