Companies Join to Create Technology Leader in Molecular Diagnostics

The new company is headquartered in Helsinki (Finland), with a center of excellence in Paris (France). It now has the diagnostic test pipeline, integrated test platform, leadership, infrastructure, and financial resources to develop and eventually commercialize its automated instrument. This includes a panel of diagnostic tests, capable of identifying a large number of pathogens from a single patient sample.

The new Mobidiag combines Mobidiag’s and Amplidiag’s high-multiplex proprietary diagnostic test portfolios with Genewave’s automated and integrated test platform. The merger was accompanied by a financing round by existing investors, Helsinki University Fund, iXLife, Tutor Invest (Medtech Rahasto Ky), and others, as well as public funding support from the Finnish funding agencies, Tekes and Finnvera, and the European Union (EU).

Mobidiag has built a reference customer base with its current test portfolio and has generated market acceptance in Europe. The automation of Mobidiag’s tests will answer the need of clinical laboratories for automated and integrated solutions for diagnostic testing of severe infectious diseases. Mobidiag’s CE-in vitro diagnostic (IVD) marked Prove-it diagnostic tests enable up to 84 pathogens and antibiotic resistance markers to be detected in a single assay. Current test products are intended for diagnosing bacterial and fungal sepsis, viral central nervous system infections, and bacterial bone and joint infections.

Genewave specializes in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of cutting-edge microarray instrumentation for diagnostic, clinical, and life science research. Genewave’s GeneSpress system is an automated and integrated platform for multiplexed molecular diagnostic tests. The compact system integrates DNA purification, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and microarray hybridization and detection into an automated workflow on a single, closed lab-on-chip cartridge. Among other features, the platform incorporates Genewave’s TouchArray optical detection technology for imaging of microarrays.

Amplidiag provides a broad panel of diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Amplidiag has substantial intellectual property covering testing and nucleic acid extraction methods for contagious gastrointestinal and other serious diseases.

The new CEO of Mobidiag will be Tuomas Tenkanen, the former R&D Director of the diagnostics PCR products provider, Finnzymes Oy, which was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The fusion of these three complementary companies creates a unique opportunity to bring forward the next generation of infectious disease diagnostics to dramatically improve global health care,” said the new CEO of Mobidiag.

Related Links:
Mobidiag
Genewave SAS