Trade News
Austin, TX and Branchburg, NJ, Sept. 28, 1998
Roche signs agreement for licensing Armored RNA Standards from Ambion and Cenetron
Standards from Ambion and Cenetron
Austin, TX and Branchburg, NJ, September 28, 1998 -- Ambion, Inc. (Austin, TX) and Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. (Branchburg, NJ), a Member of the Roche Group, have announced that Ambion has granted Roche non-exclusive world-wide rights to use its Armored RNA® standards technology in tests for infectious viruses in human beings for diagnostic testing. Ambion and Cenetron Diagnostics hold the basic patent rights, which cover RNA-containing, ribonuclease-resistant particles that can be used in various applications, including diagnostic tests. Under the terms of the agreement, RMS will have the rights to manufacture Armored RNA® controls for use in diagnostic kits, including the AMPLICOR HIV and HCV Monitor assays which the company produces.
Armored RNA® technology is a novel system jointly invented and developed by Ambion and Cenetron for the packaging of RNA in bacteriophage coat proteins to protect and stabilize RNA. A major application for this technology is the production of positive RNA controls and internal RNA standards for viral assays that withstand exposure to ribonucleases and long-term storage in serum or plasma.
Since RNA controls are essential to quantitative assays of this type, maintaining the integrity of the RNA standards is crucial in obtaining reliable results. Armored RNA® standards are highly uniform, precisely calibrated and are entirely non-infectious.
The packaging of Armored RNA® mimics naturally occurring viruses, permitting samples to be spiked with Armored RNA® prior to purification and detection, allowing variables in nucleic acid isolation and detection to be monitored during the entire assay procedure.
"This technology will be especially useful in our advanced automated systems, such as the COBAS AmpliPrep system," says Jon Raymond, Ph.D, Senior Director, Diagnostics Development, Research and Development, Roche Molecular Systems. "For instance, the customer will no longer have to use two components to produce the control."
Dr. Matt Winkler, CEO of Ambion said, "We're pleased Roche has chosen the Armored RNA® technology for their viral diagnostic kits. We believe protected RNA standards, due to the nature of their reliability and integrity, will become the industry standard in a wide range of diagnostic tests." Dr. Dwight DuBois, President of Cenetron remarked, "Armored RNA® standards are a perfect solution to problems of using RNA standards in a clinical laboratory. In our hands, these standards have performed exceptionally well, and are entirely non-infectious."
Ambion, Inc. is a leader in the development and supply of innovative RNA-based life science research and molecular diagnostic products. Ambion has taken a leadership role in developing products for handling, isolating, detecting and measuring RNA.
Cenetron Diagnostics, a nationally recognized reference laboratory, based in Austin, TX, specializes in the molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases and genetic profiling assays. Cenetron has an active basic research effort in the development of amplification-based assays, and is supporting a number of clinical trials in the HIV/AIDS arena.
The Roche Group is a world leader in research-based healthcare with principle businesses in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vitamins, fragrances and flavors. Through the company's Diagnostic Division, innovative testing products and services are made available to physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories worldwide. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., a business unit within Roche Diagnostics, develops, manufactures and oversees the commercialization of PCR nucleic acid amplification-based test kits marketed under the trade name AMPLICOR®.
Roche signs agreement for licensing Armored RNA Standards from Ambion and Cenetron
Standards from Ambion and Cenetron
Austin, TX and Branchburg, NJ, September 28, 1998 -- Ambion, Inc. (Austin, TX) and Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. (Branchburg, NJ), a Member of the Roche Group, have announced that Ambion has granted Roche non-exclusive world-wide rights to use its Armored RNA® standards technology in tests for infectious viruses in human beings for diagnostic testing. Ambion and Cenetron Diagnostics hold the basic patent rights, which cover RNA-containing, ribonuclease-resistant particles that can be used in various applications, including diagnostic tests. Under the terms of the agreement, RMS will have the rights to manufacture Armored RNA® controls for use in diagnostic kits, including the AMPLICOR HIV and HCV Monitor assays which the company produces.
Armored RNA® technology is a novel system jointly invented and developed by Ambion and Cenetron for the packaging of RNA in bacteriophage coat proteins to protect and stabilize RNA. A major application for this technology is the production of positive RNA controls and internal RNA standards for viral assays that withstand exposure to ribonucleases and long-term storage in serum or plasma.
Since RNA controls are essential to quantitative assays of this type, maintaining the integrity of the RNA standards is crucial in obtaining reliable results. Armored RNA® standards are highly uniform, precisely calibrated and are entirely non-infectious.
The packaging of Armored RNA® mimics naturally occurring viruses, permitting samples to be spiked with Armored RNA® prior to purification and detection, allowing variables in nucleic acid isolation and detection to be monitored during the entire assay procedure.
"This technology will be especially useful in our advanced automated systems, such as the COBAS AmpliPrep system," says Jon Raymond, Ph.D, Senior Director, Diagnostics Development, Research and Development, Roche Molecular Systems. "For instance, the customer will no longer have to use two components to produce the control."
Dr. Matt Winkler, CEO of Ambion said, "We're pleased Roche has chosen the Armored RNA® technology for their viral diagnostic kits. We believe protected RNA standards, due to the nature of their reliability and integrity, will become the industry standard in a wide range of diagnostic tests." Dr. Dwight DuBois, President of Cenetron remarked, "Armored RNA® standards are a perfect solution to problems of using RNA standards in a clinical laboratory. In our hands, these standards have performed exceptionally well, and are entirely non-infectious."
Ambion, Inc. is a leader in the development and supply of innovative RNA-based life science research and molecular diagnostic products. Ambion has taken a leadership role in developing products for handling, isolating, detecting and measuring RNA.
Cenetron Diagnostics, a nationally recognized reference laboratory, based in Austin, TX, specializes in the molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases and genetic profiling assays. Cenetron has an active basic research effort in the development of amplification-based assays, and is supporting a number of clinical trials in the HIV/AIDS arena.
The Roche Group is a world leader in research-based healthcare with principle businesses in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vitamins, fragrances and flavors. Through the company's Diagnostic Division, innovative testing products and services are made available to physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories worldwide. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., a business unit within Roche Diagnostics, develops, manufactures and oversees the commercialization of PCR nucleic acid amplification-based test kits marketed under the trade name AMPLICOR®.