NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Courtagen Life Sciences said today that it has signed an agreement with Raptor Pharmaceuticals to provide genetic testing in the clinical trial for Raptor's RP103 as a potential treatment for Leigh syndrome and other mitochondrial disorders.
Leigh syndrome is a severe neurological disorder caused by genetic defects in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA affecting respiratory chain function that typically results in death within the first decade of life.
"The genetic profiling of patients is expected to elucidate important information beneficial to Raptor's clinical trial for RP103," Courtagen CEO Brian McKernan said in a statement. McKernan added that Courtagen's mtSEEK and nucSEEK next-generation sequencing tests "offer the most comprehensive mitochondrial analysis for such clinical trial work."
Privately held Courtagen combines NGS and multiplex immunoassay capabilities to convert genomic data into actionable clinical information for critical pediatric neurological and metabolic disorders.
Specifically, the Woburn, Mass.-based company focuses on mitochondrial disorders, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders, and its CLIA laboratory integrates genotype, phenotype, and disease mechanism data using cloud-based computing and custom analytical methods.
Raptor is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutics for rare, debilitating, and often fatal diseases.