NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Canon BioMedical, a life sciences-focused subsidiary of Canon USA, has ceased operations, GenomeWeb has learned.
According to a former employee who spoke with GenomeWeb on the condition of anonymity, Canon BioMedical, which was located on Canon USA's campus in Melville, NY, shut down on Dec. 31 after laying off approximately 80 percent of its workforce in late summer of last year.
Canon USA, the US branch of Japan's Canon, launched the Canon BioMedical subsidiary in early 2015, primarily to develop a genetic testing platform based on ultra-fast serial PCR and high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis.
Later in 2015, Canon BioMedical announced the launch of a line of research-use-only, platform-agnostic reagents and genotyping assays under the brand name Novallele to allow researchers to identify SNPs, insertions, and deletions in the human genome. The company sporadically launched new assays over the next few years, as well as software to facilitate Novallele assay analysis.
In addition, last spring Canon BioMedical signed an agreement with Dutch firm Molecular Biology Systems to distribute MBS' ultrafast NextGenPCR thermal cycler and consumables in North America.
MBS CEO Gert de Vos this week confirmed that the distribution deal has been terminated and said that, to his knowledge, Canon BioMedical has shut down.
"It was unrelated to MBS, but of course it affects us," de Vos said. "We're working hard to get distribution again, and in the meantime, we are absolutely making sure that customers don't suffer [by] making reagents directly available and honoring warranties."
Canon USA did not respond to multiple emails requesting comment. The Canon BioMedical website currently redirects to Canon USA's homepage.