New Products for Detection of Genetic Mutations

Two new analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) can be used by laboratories to create and validate tests for the detection of genetic mutations associated with Alzheimer's disease and Canavan disease.

The ASRs will be available to high complexity clinical reference laboratories and research laboratories. Both ASRs are from Nanogen, Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA), which develops and commercializes molecular diagnostic products for the gene-based testing market. The ASRs can be used on the company's microarray platform, the NanoChip molecular biology workstation.

The ApoE ASRs consist of various reagents that may be used by laboratories to develop and validate a test for the detection of ApoE4, the main apolipoprotein E allele associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. Nanogen's ASPA ASRs consist of various reagents that may be used by laboratories to develop and validate a test to detect mutations in the ASPA gene, associated with the diagnosis of Canavan disease. This disorder, prevalent in the Jewish population of Ashkenazi descent, attacks an infant's brain and results in premature death. A third research-only product from Nanogen consists of various reagents that can be used to detect mutations of the HBB gene, which is commonly associated with beta thalassemia.

"Nanogen will continues its strategy of obtaining important intellectual property rights to gene mutations associated with diseases in order to drive placements of the NanoChip system and increase sales of consumables,” said Howard C. Birndorf, chairman and CEO of Nanogen.




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