Qiagen and Natera to develop new genetic testing assays

Qiagen has announced a new collaboration with Natera that will focus on the development of new cutting-edge cell-free DNA assays.

These assays will be developed for use on Qiagen's GeneReader next-generation sequencing system and will be intended for use in applications such as prenatal screening in hospitals and laboratories.

Leveraging innovative technology from Natera, the tests will be used to analyse non-invasive maternal blood samples and selectively differentiate foetal placental DNA from the background of the mother's DNA to test whether a baby is at risk for common genetic conditions.

Under the ten-year agreement, Natera will receive $40 million (GBP 28.63 million) in upfront licensing fees and prepaid royalties in the first quarter of 2018, and will also be eligible for an additional $10 million of milestone payments.

Peer Schatz, chief executive officer of Qiagen, said: "Through this strategic partnership, we are planning to offer assays that provide significant clinical and economic value backed by extensive validation data and large clinical studies."

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