Zymergen Sells Modular Automation System to Octant to Scale Next-Generation Drug Discovery Platform

Rhea-AI Summary

Zymergen has entered an agreement with Octant to provide a modular automation system aimed at enhancing Octant's drug development platform. This multi-phase partnership will integrate Zymergen’s complete automation solution, including hardware and software, into Octant's existing systems, allowing for increased workflow efficiency. The initial installation will consist of 5 Reconfigurable Automation Carts, with future expansions planned. This marks Zymergen’s first customer agreement following the commercial launch of its automation technology earlier in 2022.

Positive

• Agreement with Octant to provide modular automation technology enhances business development.
• Initial installation includes 5 Reconfigurable Automation Carts, indicating a scalable and expandable partnership.
• This is Zymergen’s first customer agreement after launching their high-performance automation systems, suggesting potential for future sales.

Negative

• None.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zymergen Inc. (“Zymergen” or the “Company”), today announced it has entered into an agreement with Octant for the sale of a modular automation system to scale Octant’s next-generation platform to develop breakthrough medicines.

Zymergen’s complete automation solution includes modular hardware, modern web-based software, custom and turnkey workflows, and active monitoring and support. This technology will be incorporated into Octant’s existing platform that uses synthetic biology, high throughput multiplexed assays, synthetic chemistry, and computation to engineer and interrogate drugs, proteins, and signaling pathways. Over the course of this multiphase partnership, the two companies will work together to expand Octant’s platform, enable new automated workflows, and increase throughput as instruments are added to the scalable system.

“Octant is a leading therapeutics company focused on developing drugs that match the complexity of human disease,” said Sri Kosuri, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Octant. “Zymergen is a key partner to help us advance this effort. Zymergen’s automation technology will accelerate our ability to build drugs with novel mechanisms of action guided by massive datasets in engineered human cells. These datasets unlock insights between genetics, chemistry, biochemical function, and disease phenotypes. The technology will help us accelerate and scale-up our development of life-changing drugs and therapies for some of the world’s most challenging diseases.”

“At Zymergen, having built and operated our own internal large-scale automation system for years, we have a unique and informed view of the challenges that need to be solved to fully automate, maintain, scale and reconfigure such a system,” said Zymergen’s interim CEO, Jay Flatley. “Our technology supports the flexibility, throughput, and precision demanded by Octant's rapidly scaling therapeutics platform. We are excited to partner with their team and look forward to broadening the commercial potential of our automation technology with additional customers.”

The initial installation consists of 5 Reconfigurable Automation Carts with plans to expand over time as Octant scales their workflows. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This is Zymergen’s first customer agreement since the company announced the commercialization of its high-performance automation systems earlier this year.

About Zymergen’s Automation Technology

Zymergen’s automation technology is designed to improve the throughput, efficiency, and reliability of lab operations. It is based on building blocks called Reconfigurable Automation Carts, or RACs, which house task-targeted instruments like liquid handlers and analytical devices. RACs are easily connected to form a raceway that moves plates from station to station and can be controlled remotely by Zymergen’s cloud software that schedules workflows, monitors progress, and collects scientific, process, and instrument performance data. A RAC system can scale to various sizes depending on throughput and application, and can be reconfigured in a matter of hours. See more at zymergen.com/automation.

About Zymergen

Zymergen is a biotech company that designs and produces molecules, microbes and materials for diverse end markets. We partner with nature to make better products, a better way, for a better world. For more information visit www.zymergen.com.

About Octant

Octant is a next-generation therapeutics company integrating novel and scaled experimental technologies (multiplexed measurements and high-throughput synthetic chemistry) with computation to solve complex challenges in drug discovery. Octant engineers drugs with novel mechanisms of actions guided by extensive proprietary datasets in engineered human cells that unlock insights between genomes, drug candidates, biochemical function, and disease phenotypes. The Octant platform uses synthetic biology, high throughput multiplexed assays, synthetic chemistry, and computation to engineer and interrogate drugs, proteins, and cellular pathways at unprecedented scales. For more information visit www.octant.bio.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to it on the date of this press release. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “project,” “expect” or the negative or plural of these words or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release, include but are not limited to statements regarding the customer pipeline for our automation business, the potential benefits of our automation technology and services to our customers, and our expectations for future enhancement and expansion of our automation technology and services for our customers. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks relating to the Company’s ability to attract and retain automation customers and to provide and expand its automation technology and services for its customers. These and other risks are described more fully in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, and other documents the Company subsequently files with the SEC. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Zymergen Investor Contact
investors@zymergen.com 

Octant, Inc. Media Contacts
press@octant.bio 

FAQ

What is Zymergen's recent agreement with Octant about?

Zymergen has agreed to provide a modular automation system to enhance Octant's drug development capabilities.

How many Reconfigurable Automation Carts will Zymergen install for Octant?

The initial installation will consist of 5 Reconfigurable Automation Carts.

When was Zymergen's agreement with Octant announced?

The agreement was announced on May 26, 2022.

What will Zymergen's automation technology help Octant achieve?

It will help Octant accelerate and scale-up the development of life-changing drugs and therapies.

What is the significance of this deal for Zymergen?

This marks Zymergen's first customer agreement since it announced the commercialization of its automation systems earlier in 2022.