NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Nicox, a company specializing in ophthalmic therapies and diagnostics, will market Sequenom's RetnaGene AMD test in North America, the partners said today.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nicox has gained exclusive North American promotional rights to Sequenom Laboratories' RetnaGene laboratory-developed test, which evaluates a patient's risk of AMD disease progression within 2, 5 and 10 years.
Nicox expects to begin promoting the RetnaGene AMD test in the United States in the first half of 2014. The company, headquartered in France, currently markets several tests in the US, including Sjo, a diagnostic panel for the early detection of Sjogren's syndrome, and AdenoPlus, a test for acute conjuctivitis.
Sequenom Laboratories has granted Nicox exclusive rights to directly promote the RetnaGene AMD laboratory-developed test to eye care practitioners in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and co-exclusive rights towards specialized retina physicians. Sequenom Laboratories will provide the sample collection materials and will perform the testing in its CLIA-certified laboratory.
The agreement also grants Nicox exclusive rights to an additional AMD LDT that Sequenom is currently developing and as well an exclusive option on further LDTs developed by Sequenom Laboratories that are applicable in the ophthalmic space, the companies said.