Diagnostic Technology Licensed to Bayer

DNA diagnostic technology has been licensed to Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Division (Leverkusen, Germany), by DxS (Manchester, UK; www.dxsgenotyping.com) and BTG (London, UK) in order for Bayer to develop diagnostic assays, including pharmacogenetic assays.

The new technology, called Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS), was developed by DXS and BTG. Bayer is interested in developing assays that will enable healthcare professionals to optimize healthcare delivery by better predicting an individual's genetic likelihood for disease onset and maximizing disease treatment success by matching a person's unique genetic make-up to the therapy. ARMS is a reliable method for the detection of genetic variations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs can determine the likelihood that someone will develop a particular disease. In addition, SNPs can be useful in predetermining a patient's response to drug treatment and can be used as markers to differentiate individuals with varying responses to treatment. Such advances in pharmacogenetics will guide healthcare workers in administering personalized medicine, which is getting just enough of the right medicine to a patient.

"The advent of pharmacogenetics and the increased use of molecular diagnostics as a primary tool for the diagnostician will shift healthcare to a more efficient, more cost-effective system that ultimately provides enhanced care at the individual level,” observed John Blackwood, vice president, global new business development, Bayer HealthCare Diagnostics Division.

Bayer notes that the U.S.$1.9 billion nucleic acid diagnostic market includes testing for infectious and genetic diseases, as well as cell/tissue typing, cancer genetics, and personalized medicine. This is the fastest-growing sector of the diagnostic marketplace, increasing at a rate of 20-40% per year and creating a potential market of $8-10 billion by 2010. ARMS technology has applications throughout this market.




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