Seoul, South Korea, and Cambridge, Mass., April 23, 2013 - Seegene and Selventa today announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop novel molecular diagnostics in underserved diagnostic markets including autoimmune, cancer and infectious diseases. The synergistic combination of Selventa’s Systems Diagnostics (SysDx™) multi-omic analytics platform and Seegene’s TOCE™ and DPO™ multiplex PCR technology will result in powerful new MoDx that accelerate the adoption of personalized medicine in major classes of disease.
Selventa’ SysDx works by analyzing a holistic range of a patient’s molecular information (e.g., genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and electronic medical record information) to identify a panel of “multi-omic” biomarkers that can accurately diagnose a patient’s disease and response or non-response to a therapy. By leveraging a powerful, first-in-class multiplexing technology, SysDx’s multi-omic biomarker approach can be the basis for a range of high value MoDx.
Seegene’s qTOCE technology provides real-time simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple targets in a single channel (“one channel - many targets”). qTOCE can work with any qPCR instrument to differentiate as many as 7 targets per channel from a single sample, in a single reaction. qTOCE enables multiplex assay development across a wide range of applications, including high-multiplex quantitative real-time PCR and highly selective mutational analysis.
“We are excited to collaborate with Seegene, a leading molecular diagnostic technology innovator,” said Dr. David de Graaf, President and CEO, Selventa. “Seegene’s world-class detection technology and assay development in combination with our SysDx platform can result in a wide range of novel MoDx with high clinical utility.”
“Selventa’s SysDx platform is a breakthrough approach to biomarker identification that has the potential to vastly improve patient diagnosis and care,” said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, founder, CTO and CEO of Seegene. “Our multiplex PCR technology detecting a wide range of SysDx-derived biomarkers can facilitate better patient diagnostics, improved patient care, and reduced healthcare costs.”
About System Diagnostics (SysDx)
SysDx testing is a much needed progression from ‘single-omic’ tests that today are largely limited to the analyses of genetic aberrations in a patient’s disease. As the molecular drivers of disease are intertwined across thousands of interrelated biochemical pathways, it is vital that a diagnostic be able to test for a more comprehensive set of disease-relevant biomarkers. SysDx testing promises to capture a more detailed profile of a patient’s disease leading to superior predictive and prognostic healthcare decisions.
About DPO and TOCE technologies
DPO™ technology is a fundamental tool for blocking extension of non-specifically primed templates generating consistently high specificity. TOCE enables simultaneous multiple assay testing, by separating genes (that have been amplified with the real-time PCR technology) using the differences in their melting temperatures. Prior to TOCE, multiple assays were difficult because even a small variation in the amplified gene sequence changes the melting temperature of the genes; and reduces the number of fluorescent signals that can be tested at the same time, due to fluorescent intervention among amplified genes. TOCE technology overcomes these limitations. It allows testing of multiple pathogens with one fluorescent material by ensuring that sequence variation does not change the melting temperature of the genes.
About Seegene
Seegene is the world’s leading developer of multiplex molecular technologies and multiplex clinical molecular diagnostics (M-MoDx). Seegene’s core enabling technologies - ACP™, DPO™, READ, and qTOCE™ - are the foundation for M-MoDx tests that can simultaneously detect, differentiate and quantitate multiple targets with high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Seegene’s products detect multi-pathogens with great reliability and throughput, ultimately providing the most economical basis for saving time, labor and cost. Seegene’s mission is to maintain leadership in molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases, genetics, pharmacogenetics, and oncology using innovative proprietary technologies.
For more information please visit www.seegene.com or call +301-762-9066.
About Selventa
Selventa is pioneering the development of Systems Diagnostics (SysDx(TM)). This novel approach to diagnostic development harnesses a comprehensive range of complex, biological information (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, electronic medial records) to generate a clinically relevant dashboard that physicians, patients and researchers can use to make an optimal treatment decision or stratify patient populations.
SysDx tests are enabled by Selventa’s “Big Data” analytics engine that integrates, processes, and analyzes the molecular information from thousands of patients to identify biomarkers linked to disease-driving mechanisms. SysDx tests are differentiated by their ability to capture a holistic picture of a patient’s disease and drug-response profile. This is in contrasts to MDx tests that are limited by their focus on a particular class of biological analytes (e.g. genomics-only tests). This superior predictive and prognostic value is required in the diagnosis of complex multi-factorial diseases such as autoimmune disease and cancer.
For more information, visit www.selventa.com
For more information, please contact:
Diane H. Song, Ph.D., 617-547-5421 x235
dsong@selventa.com
Constantine Theodoropulos
Base Pair Group constantine@basepairgroup.com
www.basepairgroup.com
