NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Sequenom said today that it has formed a research collaboration with the Immune Tolerance Institute under which ITI will use Sequenom's MassArray system to develop a newborn screening test for severe combined immunodeficiency.
ITI is a non-profit organization formed as a partnership with the University of California, San Francisco. The SCID assay is based on the work of UCSF researcher Jennifer Puck. Sequenom said a recent feasibility study has demonstrated "the adaptability of Dr. Puck’s RT-PCR screening assay for SCID diagnosis on the MassArray platform."
ITI CEO Louis Matis said in a statement that SCID is curable by bone marrow transplants if it is detected in time.
Sequenom CEO Harry Stylii said that the newborn screening test would reflect "the broad applicability" of the MassArray, and he described the collaboration as "in line with our goal of increasing Sequenom's reach in the field of molecular diagnostics."
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.