Company Announcements

Biosearch Technologies acquired the rights from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to US Patent No. 6,150,097 (Nucleic Acid Detection Probes Having Non-FRET Fluorescence Quenching and Kits and Assays Including Such Probes), as well as counterpart international patents. The company also acquired the rights to sublicense the rights to companies.

WaferGen Bio-systems announced in April a strategic realignment, cutting 20 positions and reorganizing.

In conjunction with a new open-format system offering, WaferGen Bio-systems announced a relationship with Integrated DNA Technologies to provide PrimeTime qPCR Primers for SYBR-based gene expression assays.

In April, QIAGEN received FDA 510(k) clearance for in vitro diagnostic use for its Rotor-Gene Q MDx platform and for the artus Infl A/B RG RT-PCR kit for influenza, its first test for the platform to receive FDA clearance.

As the result of the end of its collaboration with Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Fluidigm began in May unrestricted sales of its digital PCR and other technology for R&D in the prenatal health, noninvasive prenatal diagnostic and other fields.

In May, Seegene and DuPont Nutrition & Health agreed to jointly develop new, highly multiplexed real-time PCR assays for foodborne pathogens. The assays will provide rapid detection and differentiation of 10 more organisms from a single sample in a single test.

Exosome Diagnostics agreed in June to use Life Technologies’ ABI 7500 Fast Dx Real-Time PCR Instrument for its exosome biofluid in vitro diagnostics oncology program and to validate the system with its technology kits.

Under a OEM partnership, BIOTECON Diagnostics will exclusively use HTI bio-X’s foodproof RoboPrep X-Tract workstation for low- to medium-throughput tests.

In June, Eppendorf licensed gradient technology patents for thermal cyclers to Peqlab Biotechnologie.

Product Introductions

Bio-Rad Laboratories released the one-step RT-ddPCR kit for probes for the precise quantitation of RNA by combining reverse transcription with droplet digital PCR.

In April, Neogen launched the ANSR assay for Salmonella, which requires a single reaction temperature and provides results after 10 minutes of reaction time.

In July, WaferGen Bio-systems introduced the MyDesign open-format offering for its SmartChip System.

Promega released in July the PowerPlex STR Y23 System, which states cuts thermal-cycling time in half.

In July, Illumina introduced its first real-time PCR reagent portfolio, including a novel, probe-based chemistry for gene expression analysis called N?PCR; qPCR DNA Binding Dye Assays for Gene Expression Analysis; and qPCR High Resolution Melting Assays for genotyping studies. They are compatible with instrument platform.