Group News
Avacta DNA based detection and diagnostics
Apr 30, 2008Isothermal amplification of nucleic acids
Avacta Group plc (“Avacta”), which develops detection and
analysis technology aimed at the pharmaceutical, healthcare, security and
industrial sectors, is pleased to announce that it has acquired isothermal
nucleic acid amplification IP.
Identification of pathogens such as bacteria and viruses can be achieved
with a high degree of specificity through the detection of the pathogen’s DNA
or RNA (nucleic acids). This detection has been provided very sensitively by a
technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR has been developed over
many years to increase or “amplify” the number of pieces of the pathogen’s DNA
or RNA in a sample up to detectable levels. This amplification process permits
the pathogen’s nucleic acid to be detected at low starting concentrations in
medical, environmental, food and other samples.
Although PCR is a very powerful technique, one drawback is that it
relies on repeatedly heating and cooling of the sample which can be slow, often
making the overall detection process take hours. This is clearly a disadvantage
when rapid detection is required, for example in the case of outbreaks of
contagious animal or human infections such as foot and mouth disease, avian
influenza or human pandemic influenza. Rapid identification of pathogens such
as bacterial infections is also critical in certain healthcare situations such
as in the intensive care setting. Isothermal amplification of nucleic acid
sequences works at a constant temperature and can therefore be carried out much
more quickly providing results in many cases in well under an hour.
Avacta has acquired the entire rights to an isothermal amplification method and has free access to important ancillary intellectual property relating to fluorescent readout probes that can improve the performance of the method. Avacta is pursuing commercialisation of the IP through partnership with third parties in the diagnostics and homeland security markets as well as through its own internal product developments.
Alastair Smith, Chief
Executive of Avacta commented:
“Isothermal amplification is an emerging technique that shows great promise for rapid detection and diagnostics. There are a handful of isothermal methods that have been commercialised recently and it is clear that a competitive isothermal amplification technology can generate considerable value. We are very excited that Avacta has acquired such a method at very modest cost indeed removing requirements for Avacta to obtain expensive licenses to established isothermal methods and providing Avacta with an opportunity to out-license in the near term.
30 April 2008
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