NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – SenzaGen announced today that it has signed an agreement under which its GARD skin allergy tests will be marketed worldwide by contract research organization Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing Munich (Eurofins BPT Munich).
GARD — short for genomic allergen rapid detection — is an in vitro platform that measures genetic biomarkers of immune reactions to predict the sensitizing capabilities of chemical compounds. The technology is used in SenzaGen's GARDskin, an allergic contact dermatitis test that is designed to replace animal safety experiments, and GARDpotency, an add-on test that subcategorizes sensitizing compounds as strong, moderate, or non-sensitizing.
Under the terms of the deal, Eurofins BPT Munich — which participated in GARDskin's recent validation testing — will include both products in its chemical safety testing services offered to cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industry clients. Additional terms were not disclosed.
"This new license agreement with such a major and strong partner provides an important stepping stone in the global marketing of GARD," SenzaGen CEO Anki Malmborg Hager said in a statement.
Last year, Lund, Sweden-based SenzaGen inked a global distribution deal for GARDskin with Charles River Laboratories and partnered with AstraZeneca to develop a GARD-based test for differentiating respiratory allergens from irritants.