NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – SeraCare Life Sciences announced yesterday that it has signed an agreement to develop preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) reference materials for AAB Proficiency Testing Service, a provider of external quality control programs to clinical laboratories.
The reference materials will be based on SeraCare's Seraseq PGS materials, which consist of quantitated fetal DNA derived from trophoblast cells from either confirmed trisomies or normal pregnancies and can be customized to desired concentrations to meet specific assay requirements. Such reference materials are required for monitoring the performance of next-generation sequencing-based PGS tests, and AAB intends to incorporate the Seraseq materials into its upcoming PGS proficiency scheme, according to SeraCare.
Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
"As a proficiency test provider … it is important that we have a robust, reliable, and consistent supply of reference materials that mimic biochemical composition seen in actual clinical samples in a PGS lab," Eric Vanderslice, vice president and technical director at AAB, said in a statement. "Seraseq PGS reference materials offer a consistent and precise supply of trisomy and euploid material that allows us to confidently evaluate assay performance, with the ultimate goal to ensure accurate results to clinicians and IVF patients."
The deal with AAB marks the latest in a series of recent supply agreements inked by SeraCare. In July, the company partnered with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop circulating tumor DNA reference standard materials for diagnostics. A few months prior, it inked an agreement to provide Toma Bio Forge with its Seraseq reference material to support development of solid tumor analysis and liquid biopsy tests.