Jan 13 2009
Evogen, Inc., a global molecular diagnostics company, and LGC, an international science-based company and recognised provider of laboratory services and measurement standards, announced today that they have signed a worldwide license agreement of LGC's HyBeacons® PCR probe chemistry technology to Evogen to augment the recently launched rapid molecular diagnostics and detection platform, including the flagship instrument, the EvoCycler™ HD12. This license gives Evogen exclusive and sub-licensable rights to the HyBeacons technology within its key market areas.
“The addition of LGC’s HyBeacons technology to the EvoCycler platform substantially increases the performance of the assays that we will be providing to the clinical, environmental and biodefense markets,” said Sean Reineke, Evogen’s President and CEO. “Evogen’s highly affordable platform, which provides rapid, information-rich results, will now additionally supply increased sensitivity, robustness and reliability. Assay development will be enhanced and accelerated with the addition of the HyBeacons technology, putting the entire platform at the forefront of the molecular diagnostics field across several markets. Offering affordability, rapid results, and now more enhanced performance, the EvoCycler HD12 brings personal, intelligent molecular diagnostics into all settings.”
“The potential opportunities created by combining our cutting-edge HyBeacons technology with the Evogen platform and technologies are extremely exciting,” said John McQuillian, LGC’s Director of Life & Food Sciences. “This combination will bring our probe chemistry into many more laboratories and point-of-use locations due to its robustness and affordability. We anticipate that the HyBeacons assay menu will expand quickly in the near future through the joint efforts of Evogen, LGC and our expanding network of partnerships.”
HyBeacons probes are short fluorescently labeled DNA sequences that can be designed to detect sections of DNA sequence with a genetic variation. The central location of the fluorescent molecule within the probe has considerable advantages over probes that have signaling chemistry at the end of the DNA probe. LGC developed HyBeacons probes in response to forensic and medical requirements to identify key genetic differences between individuals, or to distinguish micro-organisms. The probes have unique characteristics that make them suitable for very rapid diagnostic and point-of-care applications. HyBeacons assays have been designed for use in medical genetic as well as infectious diagnostic testing.
Evogen’s flagship instrument, the EvoCycler HD12, is Evogen’s first commercial entry into the molecular diagnostics market and will be followed by instruments with equal performance and affordability tailored to meet a range of throughput requirements. The product line is focused on customer needs for customization and flexibility.
The EvoCycler HD12 is an innovative instrument that combines ultra-rapid amplification together with detection within a single integrated platform. Designed for clinical, research, environmental and biodefense applications, the EvoCycler HD12 can process 12 samples in less than 30 minutes. The operator-intuitive instrument software automates key tasks, from selection of the most appropriate primers and thermal cycling conditions through to auto-calling of results.
Additionally, Evogen will be offering an expanding menu of molecular diagnostics tests for clinical, biodefense and environmental applications utilizing HyBeacons chemistry. Along with test kits and instruments, future product offerings will include peripherals that will enable the streamlining of the testing process in a variety of complex settings.