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Roche Acquires Rights to Technology and Patent Applications from AbVitro to Support Next-Generation Sequencing Pipeline

8 Oct 2014
Sarah Thomas
Associate Editor

Industry news

Roche announced today it made a technology acquisition from AbVitro Inc, a company focused on therapeutic target discovery. Roche obtained exclusive rights to a primer extension based target enrichment technology and associated patent applications filed by AbVitro. Under the terms of the agreement, AbVitro and Roche scientists will collaborate on the development and application of the technology.

The primer extension based target enrichment (PETE) technology will be used to support next-generation sequencing directly from blood or other biological samples, a key advantage for clinical sequencing applications. This PETE technology, will be incorporated into Roche’s Sequencing Unit R&D pipeline to support the strategy of providing a full next-generation sequencing workflow solution for clinical sequencing.

“The potential of this technology will allow Roche to optimize our sequencing portfolio to provide a full workflow solution for our customers,” said Dan Zabrowski, Head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics and the Sequencing Unit. “Sequencing is transforming the understanding among researchers and clinicians of how genomics will impact health. We look forward to advancing this technology in order to streamline sequencing methods for easy-to-use clinical applications.”

“We are excited by Roche’s acquisition of our primer extension based target enrichment and the prospect of continued collaboration to develop the technology further. This technology surpasses current industry standards and we believe Roche to be incredibly well positioned to create a true disruption in the next-generation sample prep market,” said Dr. Francois Vigneault, President, CSO & Founder at AbVitro. “It is wonderful to see another potentially transformative sequencing technology transition into Roche where it can impact our daily lives,” said Dr. George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, and Founder of AbVitro.

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Clinical GeneticsMolecular Genetics covers the analysis of hereditary genetic disease and chromosomal abnormalities. Genetics can be analysed using DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays, PCR, RT PCR and DNA sequencing. Genetic equipment includes genetic workstations, thermal cyclers, cooling blocks and electrophoresis products. Diagnostic kits are used for DNA / RNA extraction and purification.Next Generation SequencingNext-generation sequencing (NGS), also known as whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput sequencing and massive parallel sequencing, produces and analyses thousands to millions of nucleotide sequences at once. Sequencing systems operate via varying technologies depending on the manufacturer, including sequencing by synthesis, ligation, pyrosequencing, ion semiconductor and single-molecule real-time sequencing. For NGS, library preparation is paramount to successful sequencing. In this section, explore a range of library preparation kits, from targeted, amplicon-based or hybridization-based kits including epigenomic, transcriptomic and genomic workflows to fragmentation kits. Find the best next-generation sequencing products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Genome SequencingGenome sequencing involves determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome. It provides crucial information about genetic variations, mutations, and diseases. Advances in sequencing technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), have accelerated research in genomics, diagnostics, and personalized medicine. Explore genome sequencing tools in our peer-reviewed product directory; compare products, check reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.Clinical NGSNext Generation Sequencing (NGS) refers to the use of massive parallel sequencing of multiple small fragments of DNA. This high-throughput genomic analysis yields enormous amounts of sequence data, which if appropriately analyzed could have huge potential for clinical laboratories. For this to happen there are technique and bioinformatic hurdles to be overcome.

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Roche Acquires Rights to Technology and Patent Applications from AbVitro to Support Next-Generation Sequencing Pipeline