SAN FRANCISCO, May 9 - Variagenics licensed its cardiovascular patent rights to its methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene to Third Wave Technologies, the companies announced today.
The deal grants Third Wave worldwide non-exclusive rights to commercialize reagents and molecular diagnostic tests for the assessment of thrombo-embolic disease risk, according to Variagenics.
Variagenics retains the rights to develop applications in oncology and other disease areas.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The MTHFR polymorphism influences the activity of the MTHFR protein and may affect susceptibility to a number of diseases and influence response to drugs, according to Variagenics.
"We view this relationship with Third Wave as an important step in our transition to a product-focused molecular diagnostics business model," Joseph Mohr, president of Variagenics, said in a statement.