NEW YORK ─ Oslo, Norway-based molecular diagnostic firm Genetic Analysis on Thursday announced it has entered a distribution and technology transfer agreement with Malta-based biotech firm Omnigene Medical Technologies.
In the first stage of the collaboration, Omnigene will launch the Genetic Analysis GA-map Dysbiosis Test, a CE-marked standardized gut microbiome test, as a service in the United Arab Emirates.
Financial and other terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
According to Genetic Analysis, its GA microbiome test profiles imbalanced microbiota and compares them to healthy references. The GA-map platform will enable "a fast turnaround lab testing service with an integrated software algorithm for immediate result presentation," Genetic Analysis CEO Ronny Hermansen said in a statement.
Last June, the Norwegian Research Council awarded NOK 16 million ($1.9 million) to Genetic Analysis for the development of a microbiome-based diagnostic test for the selection and treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.