Gribbles and Sequenom team up on genetic diagnostics

A new collaboration between Gribbles Molecular Science and Sequenom may pave the way for diagnostics which link pathology expertise with genetics, and could have applications in personalised medicine and foresenic identification.

The terms of the agreement remain confidential, but it does include the latest Sequenom MassARRAY technology platform, which was delivered to Gribbles Molecular Science's Brisbane laboratories last month.

Sequenom's MassARRAY system is a high-performance DNA analysis system particularly for SNP applications. SNP applications are widely regarded as the 'genetics of the future' and have applications in personalised medicine, predisposition linkage, forensic identification and pharmacogenomics.

"I believe this is pretty unique and personally has enormous clinical potential," said Prof Ian Findlay, chief scientific officer of Gribbles Molecular Science, who also holds the chair of molecular diagnostics at Griffith University.

According to Findlay, the collaboration will provide an opportunity to advance healthcare by linking the direct clinical access of the Healthscope hospital group, with the molecular diagnostic expertise of Gribbles Molecular Science, the established pathology network of pathology company Gribbles (ASX:GBL, Gribbles Molecular Science's parent company), and the diagnostic potential of the Sequenom MassARRAY platform.

"Sequenom is widely regarded as cutting-edge for SNP applications worldwide, so this is a very exciting first step in developing solid relationships between major international players and innovative molecular biotechs in Australia," he said.

The collaboration will also allow Gribbles Molecular Science to offer cost-effective, quality SNP genotyping to the Australian and regional market, the company said.

The market for molecular diagnostics is estimated by market analysts to grow at an average annual rate of 46 per cent to reach US$32 billion by 2013.