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Agilent Technologies Acquires NGS Target Enrichment Firm Avida Biomed

NEW YORK – Agilent Technologies said on Wednesday that it has acquired Avida Biomed, a company that has been developing targeted methylation sequencing panels for cancer diagnosis.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Based in Fremont, California, Avida Biomed has been developing tools that enable simultaneous genomic and DNA methylation profiling from a single sample. According to Agilent, Avida’s assay protocol, which includes library prep, can be completed with a fast turnaround and its workflow has been validated for multiple sample types, including liquid biopsy.

Agilent said the acquisition complements its SureSelect target enrichment portfolio and "further augments" the firm’s strategy to expand into the high-growth clinical research and diagnostics markets. The chemistries and assays from Avida Biomed are compatible with its automation platforms including Magnis and Bravo, the company said.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Avida Biomed team to Agilent," Sam Raha, president of Agilent’s diagnostics and genomics group, said in a statement. "We’re also very excited to be able to bring these powerful tools to our oncology customers around the world who are working to improve the understanding of cancer and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients."

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