Alexandria Center For Advanced Technologies At 8800 Technology Forest Pl.

[bachanon]

U.S. grants Lexicon $1.9 million for antiterrorism research

By: BURTON SPEAKMAN, Villager staff 01/05/2005

Lexicon Genetics Incorporated (Nasdaq: LEXG) was awarded a $1.9 million grant for the discovery of drug targets that could provide resistance to ricin poisoning from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases for a one-year initial term.

"Lexicon's proprietary gene knockout technology, coupled with our comprehensive system for analyzing the physiological effects of genes in mammals, can provide the Army with important information in its effort to combat the harmful effects of bioterrorism and biological warfare agents," said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., company president and chief executive officer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, ricin is a water-soluble poison made from the waste produced during the processing of the castor bean and can be produced in pellet, powder or mist form.

The goal of the program is to ultimately identify target agents and to develop protective drugs, Sands said. Lexicon will complete the testing for 250 genes within the term the grant.

Genes will be tested to evaluate their potential to block the body's reaction to ricin, he said.

This technology does not work in the same manner as current treatments for either diseases or poisons. Current treatments work to eliminate toxins or infections from the body, Sands said. Drugs developed through this gene therapy will keep the toxin or infection from reacting with the agent it uses to damage the body.

"Any agent - whether it be a poison or a virus - must use an agent to interact with the body," he said. Currently it is unclear what kind of reaction ricin produces that infects the body.

Another advantage to gene treatment is that toxins and diseases can mutate, making current treatments invalid, Sands said. This would not be the case for drugs that affect the target agent.

"Genes within the human body don't mutate," he said. "This could be the beginning of a whole new class of therapy."

"We believe the methods we will be using to find host factors for ricin resistance could have broader applications for other toxins or infectious agents," Sands said.

This is one of the initial steps that could bring the new therapeutic treatments to wider use, he added.

The grant from the U.S. Army is the first grant that Lexicon Genetics has ever received, Sands said.

Burton Speakman may be reached at bspeakman@mail.hcnonline.net.

[bachanon]

THE WOODLANDS - Lexicon Genetics Inc., of The Woodlands, has entered into a partnership with Texas A&M University that will produce 1,700 new jobs in The Woodlands over the next decade.

Gov. Rick Perry announced the agreement, which will create the nonprofit Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine, during a press conference Saturday in Houston. Perry also announced that the Texas Enterprise Fund, which is a $295 million fund that was set aside by the Legislature last year to help attract businesses and jobs to Texas, would provide a $50 million grant for the project. The partnership contract calls for the creation of 5,000 new jobs in Texas, including 1,700 in The Woodlands, over the next 10 years.

Link to rest of story.

[MidtownCoog]

More corporate handouts. Just a few years ago, Lexicon was ready to go out of business. A&M could fund this on their own.

Kinda like the TI plant in North Texas and UT System. Again, UT System was not hurting.

[kjb434]

But the new jobs would be great for the Research area of the Woodlands.

What do they do anyway?

[MidtownCoog]

They are working closely with A&M to clone Corp-Turds.

They are located on Research Forest Drive.

[bachanon]

What do they do anyway?

Genetic research for several applications. One treatment I heard they were working on several years back was a patch that allowed the body to absorb genetic material.

[Parrothead]

This is very exciting. My husband works in genetics/genomics and knows Lexicon very well. He'd love to be a part of this!

[LTAWACS]

But the new jobs would be great for the Research area of the Woodlands.

What do they do anyway?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh great. More corporate welfare.

[kjb434]

Corporate welfare is better than welfare to people who don't want to work.

At least corporate welfare will assist in producing more jobs. Of course I think this should be done by lower taxes instead just handing the money out.

[MidtownCoog]

So far UT and A&M are the only ones to get Perry's speical incentive fund.

That no talent arse clown does not play fair.

[Parrothead]

I'm not sure it's that, Midtown, though in any other circumstance I'd be inclined to agree when it comes to Rick Perry. UH does not have a genetics or genomics program as far as I know--if they do it's small potatoes compared to UT's and A&M's. UT's affiliation with MD Anderson gets them an awful lot of clout. Not sure what A&M's program is other than cloning--and that's what Lexicon's claim to fame is--cloning knockout mice.

[MidtownCoog]

Talking about Perry giving UT Dallas money to partner with Texas Instruments to "create jobs for the Metroplex".

[Parrothead]

ahh.

[RedScare]

Corporate welfare is better than welfare to people who don't want to work.

At least corporate welfare will assist in producing more jobs.  Of course I think this should be done by lower taxes instead just handing the money out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is it? I rarely see corporate welfare create jobs. How many new airline jobs did the $15 Billion they received create? If you look at Perry's corporate welfare fund, most of the money has gone to corporations that produced few, if any, verifiable jobs. All it really does is reward political contributors.

The new energy bill just gave Billions in tax incentives to the oil industry. What, $62 oil, and rising, is not enough incentive for them? Exxon just declared $26 Billion in PROFIT for 2004. I own their stock, but they don't need tax incentives with that kind of income.

[RedScare]

A different perspective:

http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1925

Quote from the article -

"Critics of the practice say that providing such public subsidies and tax breaks to big business is like paying 17-year-old boys to think about sex."

[MidtownCoog]

And the truth continues to come out:

Beneficiary of state grant has links to Perry

Firm's investors include donors to the governor

By R.G. RATCLIFFE and ANNE BELLI

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

THE WOODLANDS - Gov. Rick Perry recently made one of his largest taxpayer-financed economic development grants ever to a biotech venture. The deal was orchestrated by a congressman who owned stock in the firm, Lexicon Genetics Inc., a company in The Woodlands whose major investors include some of Perry's top campaign contributors.

http://mb7.scout.com/fcoogfansfrm5.showMes...icID=8377.topic

[RedScare]

It's almost as if I was clairvoyant, huh?

[MidtownCoog]

I'd love more details on the sweet-heart deal UT-Dallas and Texas Instruments received from we, the tax payers.

[pineda]

Lexicon story disected by Steffy

[Highrise Tower]

January 4, 2021; Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: LXRX) has sold its headquarters campus and plans to move to a new location within The Woodlands.

According to NAI Partners, which represented Lexicon, this is the Houston area's single-largest commercial real estate sales transaction in the life sciences sector in 2020.

The five buildings at 8800 Technology Forest Drive total 260,950 square feet, including a 128,400-square-foot main building with Class A office and laboratory space. Additional properties on the campus include a one-story flex property with lab and office space, as well as two special-use facilities.

NAI's announcement does not name the buyer, but Lexicon disclosed in October that San Francisco-based Nurix Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: NRIX) was under contract to purchase the campus, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The $11.9 million purchase price listed in the SEC filing is similar to the amount the Montgomery County Appraisal District valued the property at for 2020.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2021/01/04/lexicon-pharmaceuticals-sells-hq-in-the-woodlands.html

[Highrise Tower]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2022/12/19/alexandria-life-sciences-campus-the-woodlands.html

Pasadena, California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. is redeveloping a more than 12-acre property in The Woodlands’ Research Forest into a brand-new life sciences campus with 325,000 square feet of building space for different users.

Alexandria partnered with San Francisco-based Nurix Therapeutics Inc. to purchase the campus at 8800 Technology Forest Place from The Woodlands-based Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, said Jason Kantor, executive vice president of finance and business strategy at Nurix.

As part of the redevelopment, Alexandria demolished two of the previous four buildings, gutted the other two down to the studs and concrete before rebuilding them in a new design, and plans to erect a new building, Brasell said. In addition, the company is building a four-story parking garage on the southwest side of the property and creating a park-like area in the center of the campus with sitting areas, bocce ball courts and fire pits.

The company engaged San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler, which has a major Houston office, to design the project.

Lexicon, the previous owner of the campus, downsized and moved to 2445 Technology Forest Blvd., Brasell said.

[mattyt36]

2 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2022/12/19/alexandria-life-sciences-campus-the-woodlands.html

Pasadena, California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. is redeveloping a more than 12-acre property in The Woodlands’ Research Forest into a brand-new life sciences campus with 325,000 square feet of building space for different users.

Alexandria partnered with San Francisco-based Nurix Therapeutics Inc. to purchase the campus at 8800 Technology Forest Place from The Woodlands-based Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, said Jason Kantor, executive vice president of finance and business strategy at Nurix.

As part of the redevelopment, Alexandria demolished two of the previous four buildings, gutted the other two down to the studs and concrete before rebuilding them in a new design, and plans to erect a new building, Brasell said. In addition, the company is building a four-story parking garage on the southwest side of the property and creating a park-like area in the center of the campus with sitting areas, bocce ball courts and fire pits.

The company engaged San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler, which has a major Houston office, to design the project.

Lexicon, the previous owner of the campus, downsized and moved to 2445 Technology Forest Blvd., Brasell said.

Well, I am not in this industry but from what I have read Alexandria Real Estate Equities is the top tier developer that you want for projects like these, and a vote of confidence in the Houston biotech industry's long-term prospects (the only other markets they are in are Boston, SF, San Diego, DC, NYC, Seattle, and the Research Triangle).  I'm just disappointed it is located in The Woodlands, but I suppose it's less of a site-location decision as redeveloping an existing facility.

Edited December 20, 2022 by mattyt36

[CREguy13]

6 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Well, I am not in this industry but from what I have read Alexandria Real Estate Equities is the top tier developer that you want for projects like these, and a vote of confidence in the Houston biotech industry's long-term prospects (the only other markets they are in are Boston, SF, San Diego, DC, NYC, Seattle, and the Research Triangle).  I'm just disappointed it is located in The Woodlands, but I suppose it's less of a site-location decision as redeveloping an existing facility.

As a reminder, Alexandria is investing in a significant way just south of TMC along Fannin.  Totally agree on ARE's prowess as a life science developer..  They are clearly betting on Houston, which is awesome!

[mattyt36]

1 hour ago, CREguy13 said:

As a reminder, Alexandria is investing in a significant way just south of TMC along Fannin.  Totally agree on ARE's prowess as a life science developer..  They are clearly betting on Houston, which is awesome!

Well it’s not a reminder for me as I didn’t know 🙃 … do tell! Or is there a thread here that has it?

[mattyt36]

14 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Well it’s not a reminder for me as I didn’t know 🙃 … do tell! Or is there a thread here that has it?

Found it, must’ve glossed over when I saw it was a repurposing of a Sam’s. (You’d think the HBJ article would’ve mentioned this.)

 

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/10/20/alexandria-life-sciences-campus-woodlands-opening.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=7#cxrecs_s

"Pasadena, California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) on Oct. 19 celebrated the grand opening of the Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies at 8800 Technology Forest Place, the former Lexicon Pharmaceuticals campus.

Anchor tenant San Francisco-based Nurix Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: NRIX) has just moved into roughly 46,000 square feet of space it built out in a redeveloped 123,390-square-foot building that was delivered in June. Nurix creates new types of molecules used to treat cancer and other diseases. The company expects to hire between 75 and 100 science and executive jobs in The Woodlands."