Illumina收购英国诊断公司Bluegnome
- 互联网2012年9月20日 11:44 点击：3223
2012年9月19日，Illumina宣布收购英国剑桥的诊断公司BlueGenome。
BlueGenome专长于为生殖健康和癌症进行的染色体筛选。此笔收购是Illumina在过去两周内发布大量通告中的一条，这些通告很多都凸显了公司正从基础研究扩张到医学上。
“在向诊断领域进发的过程中，我们非常小心仔细，”Illumina公司的CEO杰伊·福莱特雷（Jay Flatley）说。他补充道，这笔收购会让公司把已有的研究领域的先进技术和对病人的临床评估能力结合起来。他说，Illumina在诊断方面的两个主要关注领域是肿瘤学和生殖健康。
现在，医生在做试管婴儿的时候，会在把胚胎移植到子宫之前，用各种技术检查胚胎的遗传问题，例如染色体数的异常。他们会从每个试管婴儿产生的胚胎中提取一个细胞进行检测，这样只有最可能授孕成功的胚胎才会被使用。如果染色体的数量发生异常（这种情况被称为染色体非整倍性），会导致流产或试管婴儿的移植失败。染色体数量异常还和发育问题有关。
BlueGenome公司生产遗传筛选的套装工具，他们利用的是微阵列技术（microarray technology），可以让生殖科的医生对试管婴儿胚胎进行筛查，找到包括出染色体增多在内的染色体异常。患有21三体综合征的病人就有这样的异常。一些专家认为，在5年之内，医生就有可能利用胚胎中的单个细胞对全部的基因组进行测序。福莱特雷认为这种方法对Illumina来说是一个巨大的机会，这个机会因为今天的收购而更迫近了。
“对这些分析方法来说，测序是更有力的手段，”他说，“如果你明确地知道自己在寻找什么东西的话，微阵列技术很有用。但是对自发产生的变异或突变来说，微阵列就不那么有用了。而测序技术可以给你所有东西。即使你不知道某个变异的存在，测序也能把它找出来。”
BlueGenome公司的技术不仅在试管婴儿中有用，在其他生殖健康的领域里（例如确认想要孩子的夫妇是否带有可以遗传的疾病）也有应用。它还能别用来筛查癌细胞的遗传改变，诊断发育延迟孩子的遗传基础。
| Illumina Acquires BlueGnome, Leading Provider of Cytogenetics and In Vitro Fertilization Screening Solutions |
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Acquisition Supports Illumina Goals in Diagnostics, Enhances Position in "The BlueGnome acquisition supports Illumina's goal to be the leader in genomic-based diagnostics and enhances the company's ability to establish integrated solutions in reproductive health and cancer," said
"By joining forces with In collaboration with some of the world's leading in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers, BlueGnome developed 24sure™, a preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) test for counting the chromosomes in a single human cell - a test that holds enormous promise for increasing IVF success rates. Clinical data has shown that PGS greatly improves IVF success, increasing pregnancy rates for women and reducing miscarriages. BlueGnome's offerings also include CytoChip, a powerful test for the investigation of genetic abnormalities mainly associated with developmental delay or with complex leukemias. CytoChip is used by more than 200 labs across 40 countries worldwide as a first-line cytogenetic test, replacing traditional G-band karyotyping. The company's founders,
Added
About Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are detailed in our filings with the Source: Illumina, Inc. |
Illumina Acquires BlueGnome
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Illumina today announced that it has acquired Cambridge, UK-based BlueGnome for an undisclosed sum.
The deal provides Illumina with BlueGnome's array-based cytogenetic and in vitro fertilization screening tests. The firm's 24sure test is a preimplantation genetic screening assay for counting the chromosomes in a single human cell and "holds enormous promise for increasing IVF success rates," said Illumina.
BlueGnome also sells the CytoChip, a test for investigating genetic abnormalities mainly associated with developmental delay or with complex leukemias. The chip is used by more than 200 labs across 40 countries worldwide as a first-line cytogenetic test, said Illumina, and can replace traditional G-band karyotyping.
"The BlueGnome acquisition supports Illumina's goal to be the leader in genomic-based diagnostics and enhances the company's ability to establish integrated solutions in reproductive health and cancer," Illumina President and CEO Jay Flatley said in a statement.
BlueGnome had 2011 revenues of $18 million, Illumina CFO Marc Stapley said today at the UBS Global Life Sciences Conferences held in New York. The acquired firm has more than 50 employees and over 200 customers.
One of the primary reasons for the acquisition was that it gives Illumina access to BlueGnome's Blue Fuse software, which Illumina will start
integrating into its own products, and potentially its BaseSpace cloud computing platform, Christian Henry, Illumina's senior vice president and general manager of genomic solutions, added.
BlueGnome will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Illumina. Nick Haan and Graham Snudden, the co-founders of BlueGnome, will continue to lead the subsidiary and will report to Greg Heath, SVP and general manager of Illumina's diagnostics business.
In addition to its headquarters in Cambridge, BlueGnome also has an office in Singapore, and it recently opened its US operations in Fairfax, Va.
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