Laboratory licensing
Metabolon, Dian ink an agreement under which Dian will establish Metabolon's Discovery HD4 platform in their Hangzhou laboratory
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—Metabolon Inc. and Zhejiang Dian Diagnostics Co., Ltd. (Dian), one of the largest chains of independent medical laboratories in China, have announced the signing of a joint laboratory licensing agreement. Per the terms of this deal, Dian will establish Metabolon's proprietary Discovery HD4 platform in their new Hangzhou lab and leverage their market presence in China to commercialize Metabolon's products and services within the country.
The Discovery HD4 platform screens the largest and most diverse metabolite library in the industry, using Metabolon's software to deliver accurate, comprehensive metabolomics data.
“Establishing the Discovery HD4 platform in China allows Metabolon to better serve current and future customers in this significant market with our advanced metabolomics technology,” remarked Metabolon CEO Dr. John Ryals. “Dian is well-positioned as a leader in clinical and research markets, and we look forward to working with them to expand our opportunities in life sciences research, commercial, diagnostics and precision medicine markets.”
Dian will be able to advertise Metabolon's products for research use in a variety of applications, including supporting large-cohort population studies within China's market. In addition, this deal lays the groundwork for future licensing agreements to commercialize new precision medicine and diagnostics products, as noted in a press release. No financial details for the agreement were released.
"As one of the largest independent medical laboratories in China, Dian has consistently focused on technology innovation as its key strategy for sustainable growth,” Chen Haibin, chairman and CEO of Dian, commented in a statement. “Dian’s collaboration with Metabolon, a world-leading company in metabolomics, will bring a cutting-edge platform to the Chinese market to assist clients and promote the application of advanced clinical tests. I am very confident in the success of this collaboration and look forward to the opportunity to work with Metabolon in the areas of diagnostics and precision medicine."
Metabolon announced another agreement roughly a month ago with InnVentis Ltd., in which the companies will apply metabolomics in individuals suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. InnVentis' goal is to combine multi-omics technologies, clinical data and machine learning to support precision medicine for such diseases.
It is estimated that rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1 percent of the population globally, with about 1 million individuals living with this condition in the United States alone. Current estimates are that chronic arthritic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis cost the country about $128 billion each year.
“Metabolomics has proven to be a most powerful technology to identify specific subgroups of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, and we are honored to work with Metabolon, the leader in the field,” said Dr. Thomas Wilckens, CEO of InnVentis, in a press release. “By combining metabolomics with other ‘omics that are ready for exponential scale, InnVentis aims to enable novel, real-time disease management for clinicians and patients. This will include drug responder identification upon first diagnosis, as well as drug dosing management, using a more comprehensive solution built on the Internet of Things.”