Definiens

Definiens was founded by Nobel physics laureate Professor Gerd Binnig to apply new technology to the analysis and interpretation of images. In 2005, the Munich-based company expanded into life sciences, initially focusing on screening cell cultures, followed by radiology and pathology. The disposal of Definiens’ earth sciences arm to Trimble in 2010 and subsequent venture capital investment paved the way for the company to concentrate on its digital pathology applications.

The development of Definien’s Tissue Phenomics technology dramatically improved the identification of biomarkers in tumour tissue, giving it applications in the diagnosis and creation of personalised treatments. The company was acquired by MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, in 2014 for $150 million in cash¹, with a further $150m in milestone payments. Definiens’ biomarker testing technology was adopted by MedImmune to help select patients for its clinical trials, potentially reducing clinical timelines and increasing response rates, particularly in AstraZeneca’s biologics pipeline, around 80% of which has a personalised healthcare approach.