NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Agilent Technologies announced today that it has signed a co-development agreement with China-based molecular diagnostics developer Burning Rock under which Burning Rock will create cancer diagnostics for the Chinese market based on the Agilent SureSelect target enrichment system.
Burning Rock said it will register any molecular diagnostic kit it develops through this deal with the China Food and Drug Administration, adding that such a kit could become the first CFDA-approved capture sequencing-based cancer diagnostic assay in China.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"As the leader in molecular cancer diagnosis in China, Burning Rock is very pleased to partner with Agilent, a global leader in diagnostics and genomics," said Burning Rock Founder and CEO Yusheng Han in a statement. "Collaboration between our two companies will provide additional high-quality molecular diagnostic solutions based on next-generation sequencing, including non-invasive testing, relapse monitoring, early-stage diagnosis and cancer susceptibility."
Jacob Thaysen, president of Agilent's diagnostics and genomics unit, added that the company's target enrichment and NGS technology "have a vital role to play in personalizing medicine and ultimately delivering treatments tailored to the individual," especially in cancer.