Leica teams with ACD in co-marketing pact

MELBOURNE, Australia & HAYWARD, Calif.—Advanced Cell Diagnostics Inc. (ACD), a leader in advanced RNA in-situ hybridization (ISH) technology, has announced that, together with Leica Biosystems, they will be co-marketing ACD’s RNAscope LS ISH assays with Leica Biosystems’ BOND RX research staining platform (for Research Use Only, not for use in diagnostic procedures). As a result, researchers will have access to an integrated, fully automated ISH solution.

“Leica is excited to announce the availability of ACD’s RNAscope Assays fully automated on the BOND RX,” Dr. David Atkins, vice president of Advanced Staining at Leica Biosystems, said in a press release. “This is another example of how, with its openness and flexibility, the BOND RX is providing researchers with enhanced tools to help speed-up important discoveries and improve cancer diagnostics.”

ACD’s RNAscope assays, which were first commercialized three years ago, offer robust single RNA molecule detection for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. The RNAscope LS assays are fully automated on the BOND RX platform, an open, flexible system that automates staining in order to offer a rapid, high-throughput workflow with topnotch consistency and minimal hands-on time.

“Automation is essential for pharmas, biotechs, translational labs and academic institutions to apply the RNA ISH technology to a wide range of biomarker analysis applications,” Dr. Yuling Luo, president and CEO of ACD, commented in a statement. “We are very pleased to work with Leica Biosystems to expand our automated RNAscope solutions in response to the needs of our rapidly growing customer base.”

This is the second agreement announced by Leica Biosystems in as many weeks. On August 7, the company shared news of an agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in which the organizations will collaborate to develop companion diagnostics on the Leica BOND system to aid in the selection of patients for treatment with certain pharmaceuticals developed, or to be developed, by Bristol-Myers Squibb. No financial details for the agreement were released.

“We are pleased to be working with Bristol-Myers Squibb, on diagnostics for cancer and other therapies on the Leica BOND platform,” Matthias Weber, president of Leica Biosystems, MD, commented in a press release announcing the deal. “This partnership is an example of Leica’s continued growth in Companion Diagnostics. In this field, the capabilities to supply high-quality in-vitro diagnostic products are critical requirements. The ease of use and high staining quality of our BOND systems makes them ideal platforms on which to deploy these very informative tests.”