NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Meridian Bioscience announce today that it has expanded its license to Eiken Chemical's LAMP nucleic acid amplification technology to include the detection of infectious agents in animals, food, and water.
LAMP — short for loop-mediated isothermal amplification — uses special primers and a polymerase to produce DNA at a single temperature and at higher amounts than can be achieved with PCR-based amplification.
Meridian first licensed the technology from Eiken in late 2006 to develop tests for the human infectious disease market in the US and other countries, and has since developed assays under its Illumigene brand for C.difficile, group A and B streptococcus, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, pertussis, mycoplasma, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and malaria. With the expanded license, the firm said it is now seeking new development opportunities in the animal and food testing markets.
Specific terms of the licensing deal were not disclosed.
"We are committed to growing our presence in the clinical market by expanding the Illumigene test menu while exploring new opportunities in the veterinary, food, and water testing markets," Meridian President and Chief Commercial Officer Richard Eberly said in a statement.