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SEQUENOM Secures Rights to Key Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Intellectual Property

24 Oct 2005 - SEQUENOM, Inc. has acquired exclusive rights in certain countries including the United States, United Kingdom and other countries in Europe and elsewhere, to non-invasive prenatal diagnostic intellectual property from Isis Innovation Ltd., the technology transfer company of the University of Oxford, it was announced. The intellectual property covers non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnostic testing on fetal nucleic acids derived from plasma or serum, which includes tests such as cystic fibrosis, hemoglobinopathies (sickle cell anemia and the thalassemias), and chromosomal aneuploidies (e.g. Down Syndrome), on any platform including mass spectrometry and real time polymerase chain reaction amplification platforms. Financial terms include up-front fees, milestone payments and royalties on product sales.
 
The licensed patent rights were first developed at the University of Oxford in 1997 by Professor Dennis Lo (presently at the Chinese University of Hong Kong) and Professor James Wainscoat (at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford). Professor Lo, a renowned researcher in the study of non-invasive prenatal genetic analysis, is presently collaborating with SEQUENOM on related matters.