GMP Companies Inc. Licenses Patent Rights to Mayo Medical Laboratories for Conversion Technology(R) Process
GMP Companies, Inc., a biotechnology and medical technology healthcare company, announced today that its GMP Genetics, Inc. subsidiary has licensed patent rights for its proprietary GMP Conversion Technology® and Conversion Analysis™ processes to Mayo Medical Laboratories, the reference laboratory for Mayo Clinic. Mayo Medical Laboratories will use the technology for gene-based testing.
Conventional gene sequencing analyzes chromosome pairs at the same time. In this process, normal copies of DNA sequences on one allele can mask or hide genetic mutations or deleted DNA sequences on the other allele. As a result, conventional sequencing can sometimes miss a genetic mutation or deletion associated with a hereditary disease. The scientific foundations of the GMP Conversion Technology process were discovered by Johns Hopkins University researchers and further developed by GMP Companies, Inc.
Utilizing a routine blood sample, Mayo will use the GMP Conversion Technology process to separate paired chromosomes into single chromosomes. When separated, alleles may be analyzed individually using genetic probes that identify gene sequences. This technology is applicable to a gene, a chromosome, or to the entire human genome.
“With this new technology we will now be in a position to identify disease-causing mutations in a higher proportion of patients being studied,” said Dr. Steven Thibodeau, Co-Director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. “For many genetic disorders, a variety of mutations can be found to cause disease. Additionally, these mutations can occur anywhere within the gene being analyzed. In some cases, the identification of gene mutations can be difficult to detect with conventional methods.”|
Upon transfer, validation and implementation of the technology, the GMP Conversion Technology process will be first utilized in the Mayo Clinic Molecular Genetics Laboratory, which tests for over 40 genetic disorders. Mayo plans to apply the technology to assays for individuals at risk for specific inherited diseases including hereditary colon cancer, including Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer and Familial Adenomatuous Polyposis. These tests are expected to be significantly more sensitive than current competitive offerings.
The GMP Conversion Technology process will also be made available as a resource to other clinical and research laboratories for various clinical, research and validation applications. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“ We are delighted to be working with Mayo Medical Laboratories given its outstanding reputation, expertise and infrastructure,” said Shelley Hartman, President and CEO of GMP Companies. “We are pleased to help bring the power of applied genetics to clinical practice.”
About GMP Companies, Inc.
GMP Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop and commercialize biotechnology and medical technology products. These technologies are typically licensed or acquired from academic medical centers, individual inventors, research institutions and partner companies. GMP has commercialized other healthcare products such as the Life Sync® wireless ECG system which is being marketed throughout the United States. To learn more about GMP Companies, visit www.gmpcompanies.com
About Mayo Medical Laboratories
Mayo Medical Laboratories is the reference laboratory for Mayo Clinic providing services to over 5,000 health care institutions worldwide. Mayo is a leader in gene-based testing and has a very active development and implementation program, introducing over 75 new genetic tests in the past 2 years. To learn more about Mayo Medical Laboratories, visit www.mayoreferenceservices.org
