Roche, a leader in research-focused healthcare, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kapa Biosystems, Inc. (Kapa), a privately-held company in Wilmington, Massachusetts, which provides genomic tools in the life sciences sector that employs proprietary technologies to optimise enzymes for next-generation sequencing (NGS), as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR applications.

Kapa’s proprietary protein engineering technology is highly customizable and allows for the generation and screening of large numbers of enzyme variants. Tailored enzymes with improved performance for specific applications can be rapidly selected, expediting product development timelines. Kapa`s impressive portfolio of NGS reagents includes enzymes such as novel DNA polymerases, with the potential to improve the performance of the entire sequencing workflow.

“This acquisition builds on Roche’s commitment to develop a differentiated NGS portfolio that will provide our customers with a complete genetic testing solution,” said Roland Diggelmann, COO, Roche diagnostics division.

“Kapa’s technology and products complement our current expertise and offerings such as the portfolio of target enrichment products for NGS. We welcome Kapa’s employees and are looking forward to strengthening our NGS offerings with this unique technology.”

“Joining Roche provides us access to their broad product portfolio, global reach and clinical expertise that will accelerate our strategy of offering comprehensive NGS workflow solutions to more laboratories around the world,” said Paul McEwan, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Kapa Biosystems.

“We are also excited to have the opportunity to further leverage our enzyme engineering capabilities to advance the fields of genomics and sequencing, with the ultimate goal of having a more significant impact on medicine and human health.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.