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Lumora, a provider of state-of-the-art molecular diagnostic products for the clinical research and industrial markets, has sold its proprietary nucleic acid Heat Elution purification technology to Roche, a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
Roche has signed a definitive Asset Purchase Agreement with Lumora for products associated with its proprietary nucleic acid Heat Elution purification technology that is designed for use with clinical specimens. Roche plans to explore integrating this technology into its sequencing workflow solution. Financial details were not disclosed. Cambridge Enterprise helped fund Lumora in 2004 with an initial £150k investment and has since invested a total of £280k in the company.
Laurence Tisi, CEO of Lumora, said: “We are extremely pleased to have concluded this sale to Roche, the world’s leading diagnostics company. Having successfully developed the heat elution technology, the next step is to see its use expanded globally, and Roche is the perfect partner for ensuring its widespread adoption.”
Having successfully developed the heat elution technology, the next step is to see its use expanded globally, and Roche is the perfect partner for ensuring its widespread adoption.
Laurence Tisi
Hayden Jeffreys, Commercial Director of Lumora, said: “The purchase of our heat elution technology by Roche shows the strength of our offering to the clinical market, following the multiple successes we have achieved in the industrial space. The agreement with Roche validates our approach to clinical diagnostics and on the back of a number of very successful events such as AACC (American Association of Clinical Chemistry), we are well positioned to aggressively enter the clinical market.”
Jim Reid, Chairman of Lumora, added “Lumora has consistently demonstrated an ability to lead in technology and product development in the exciting and lucrative field of molecular diagnostics. In addition to the sale of the Heat Elution technology to Roche, we have an on-going partnership with 3M in the industrial sector, a series of new products in development, demonstrating the strength of our pipeline and the commitment to work with the best partners in the industry, ensuring our continued commercial success.”
Today, nucleic acid purification technology from specimens including formalin-fixed tissues is cumbersome and inefficient. Lumora’s highly differentiated proprietary methodology is designed to enable simple and automated nucleic acid isolation in minutes instead of hours. In addition, the technology is environmentally friendly and can be applied to process a wide variety of samples including whole blood, faecal matter, sputum and buccal swabs.