OGT signs license with Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Oxford, UK – 01 April 2015. OGT, the molecular genetics company, today announced that it has signed a license agreement with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for access to data from the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study.

The DDD study has successfully identified new areas of the genome as responsible for developmental disorders^{1, 2}. OGT plans to use this ground-breaking information, combined with the latest updates from the International Collaboration for Clinical Genomics (ICCG) consortium, to develop its CytoSure^® Constitutional v3 range, an advance on OGT’s successful CytoSure ISCA arrays. The range will utilise both single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and copy number variation (CNV) probes for accurate identification of a broader range of genetic syndromes, detecting amplifications and deletions as well as regions of loss of heterozygosity (LOH).

The new range of arrays will incorporate OGT’s class-leading CytoSure Interpret Software, a powerful, easy-to-use package for the analysis of CNV and SNP data. OGT also offers the facility to transfer legacy data generated using other platforms, allowing more insightful analyses.

The DDD study is a collaboration between the UK's National Health Service (NHS), the Wellcome Trust and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to conduct genome wide screening of over 12,000 individuals with developmental disorders to uncover the underlying genetic aberrations. New technologies such as high-resolution microarrays and exome sequencing were used by the study to identify previously undetected genetic changes in the samples. These newly identified genomic regions are included in OGT’s advanced array design, enabling more powerful analysis.

James Clough, Executive Vice President Commercial at OGT commented, “Working with the renowned Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the ICCG consortium will boost the evolution of our microarray and NGS products. Access to such extensive information and systematically carried out research into developmental disorders will provide OGT with the ability to offer the most advanced array designs available for accurately identifying developmental disorders”.

Dr Matthew Hurles, a scientific leader of the DDD study at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute commented, “The huge breadth of genetic information that this study has uncovered is vital in advancing the identification of developmental disorders. Through better detection, we can hope to further our understanding and support of these disorders.”

References

1. Large-scale discovery of novel genetic causes of developmental disorders. The Deciphering Developmental Disorders Study. Nature 2014 PUBMED: 25533962; DOI: 10.1038/nature14135
2. Genetic diagnosis of developmental disorders in the DDD study: a scalable analysis of genome-wide research data. Wright CF, Fitzgerald TW, Jones WD, Clayton S, McRae JF, van Kogelenberg M, King DA,Ambridge K, Barrett DM, Bayzetinova T, Bevan AP, Bragin E, Chatzimichali EA, Gribble S,Jones P, Krishnappa N, Mason LE, Miller R, Morley KI, Parthiban V, Prigmore E, Rajan D,Sifrim A, Swaminathan GJ, Tivey AR, Middleton A, Parker M, Carter NP, Barrett JC, Hurles ME, FitzPatrick DR, Firth HV and on behalf of the DDD study. Lancet 2014

About OGT

OGT, a Sysmex Group company, is a leading global provider of clinical and diagnostic genomic solutions that are created for scientists by scientists - including CytoCell^®, CytoSure^® and SureSeq™ ranges of FISH, microarray and NGS products. The company is dedicated to creating products that enable researchers and clinical decision makers to reach the right care decisions for each patient, every time. OGT strives to unlock the future of genetic clinical care with a commitment to working in partnership with its customers - not only by sharing its expertise of 25 years at the forefront of genetic endeavour, but also by working closely with scientists to understand their unique challenges, and to customise its approach to meet their exact needs. Dedicated to improving clinical care, OGT believes that through partnership—together—we’ll achieve more.

For more information on the Company, please visit our website at ogt.com

CytoSure^®, SureSeq™ and myProbes^®: For Research Use Only, not for use in diagnostic procedures. CytoCell: Some products may not be available in your region.

About Sysmex Corporation

Sysmex Corporation is a world leader in clinical laboratory systemization and solutions, including laboratory diagnostics, laboratory automation and clinical information systems. Serving customers for more than 50 years, Sysmex focuses on technological leadership in diagnostic science and information tools that make a difference in the health of people worldwide. The company is also exploring emerging opportunities in the life science field. Its R&D efforts focus on the development of high-value-added testing and diagnostic technologies that are innovative, original and optimize individual health. Sysmex also seeks to leverage its state-of-the-art technologies for cell, gene and protein analysis. The company, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, has subsidiaries in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China and Asia Pacific and employs more than 9,000 employees worldwide. Sysmex Corporation is listed in the top tier of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

For more information about Sysmex Corporation and its affiliate companies, please visit www.sysmex.co.jp/en/.