CPGR -- Beijing, China & Cape Town, RSA (September 09, 2008) — The Centre for Proteomic & Genomic Research (CPGR), a South African Government sponsored, not for profit, core technology facility in Cape Town, South Africa, and CapitalBio (CB), a leading biotech company in Beijing, China, announce that they are entering into a mutual agreement in the field of Genomic Medicine and Biomarker Discovery.
Under the agreement, CB will grant CPGR access to its complete microarray assay platform, including biochip readers, together with a range of proprietary DNA microarrays. In return, CPGR will form a reference centre for CB microarray applications in Southern Africa, including custom-designed applications for tuberculosis (TB) strain typing and drug resistance testing.
CapitalBio Corporation is China’s leading developer and marketer of biochips and microarray related instruments and applications. The company has a particular interest in the development of rapid microarray systems for the assay of infectious diseases and pathogenic organisms.
“CapitalBio’s platform represents a fast, low-cost and state-of-the-art system, something that is of key relevance today for the development of affordable diagnostic applications in emerging countries like South Africa” said Dr. Reinhard Hiller, Managing Director of the CPGR. “We will initially implement CB’s TB diagnostic platform in order to help tackle one of the most pressing diseases in Africa, but in due course we intend to add a complete range of CB microarray products relevant to the human, animal and plant biotech arenas.”
“The association between CapitalBio and the CPGR represents a major step forward our efforts to bring better diagnostics to the emerging and developing lands in Africa” said Professor Jing Cheng, CEO of CapitalBio. “CapitalBio has worked closely with the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention to CapitalBio Corporation
National Engineering Research Center
for Beijing Biochip Technology
Registered office CPGR: Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine (IIDMM), S2.09 Wernher Beit South Building, Anzio
Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa - Incorporated in South Africa under section 21, registration number 2006/010411/08
provide assays of international relevance, and we see enormous potential for the worldwide use of this technology to bring effective diagnostics to TB sufferers.” “The CPGR was created with a vision of establishing a modern, world class, high throughput biological research facility,” said the Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa, the Honourable Mosibudi Mangena. “Such delivery is central to our National Biotechnology Strategy – where we are seeking to develop a globally competitive sector with products and services that are world class but focus primarily on local needs. CPGR’s collaboration with CapitalBio is a positive development towards that goal.” Ms Yanrong LIU, the Vice Director General of the Department of High-Tech Industry of the National Development and Reform Commission, applauded this international collaboration. “The NERCBBT was established 8 years ago with the aim to straddle biochip R&D and business. Today the NERCBBT has identified itself as the most innovative national base for biochip technology and an impressive number of products have been developed by its commercial arm CapitalBio, which include gene chip systems for disease diagnostics such as for mycobacterial detection and TB drug resistance identification. CapitalBio’s collaborative relationship with the CPGR of South Africa will expedite Biochip Technology industrialization in China.
ABOUT CPGR
The Centre for Proteomic & Genomic Research (CPGR) is an integrated core technology facility, founded in South Africa in 2006 as a not-for-profit organization through a grant provided by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) by way of its vehicles the Cape Biotech Trust (CBT) and PlantBio (PB). Visit www.cpgr.org.za for more information.
ABOUT CAPITALBIO
CapitalBio Corporation is located in Beijing and is China’s leading developer and marketer of biochips, microarray related instruments and microarray services. It also develops active biochips and software for data analysis and management. The company, founded in 2000, currently has nearly 400 employees and is closely linked to the National Engineering Research Centre for Beijing Biochip Technology. Visit www.capitalbio.com for more information.
For more information about this announcement, please contact:
Ms. Chen REN
Assistant Director, Business Development Dept.
CapitalBio Corporation
Tel: +86-10-8071 5888 Ext. 8217
renchen2008@gmail.com
