Sequenom, Inc announced an agreement to acquire the complete AttoSense portfolio of tests along with certain other assets from privately held biotechnology company SensiGen LLC. SensiGen has been developing advanced gene-based molecular tests with diagnostic potential under a partnership agreement with Sequenom. The acquisition includes analytically validated, ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific tests for detection and monitoring of human papillomavirus (HPV) -- the primary cause of cervical and head and neck cancers, systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus), chronic kidney disease (CKD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as other tests, all of which utilize Sequenom's proprietary MassARRAY platform.

"The addition of SensiGen's AttoSense tests to our portfolio represents a key step toward Sequenom's goal to have a comprehensive offering of molecular diagnostics for women's health and cancer," said Harry Stylli, president and chief executive officer of Sequenom. "Although we believe this technology represents a future growth opportunity, the management of Sequenom remains keenly focused on the noninvasive prenatal diagnostic franchise and in particular our Down syndrome technology. As such, the cost of further development of the AttoSense assays will be immaterial to our overall R&D spend."

Dr Stylli added, "AttoSense tests may provide early detection and monitoring of major health conditions and have the potential to dramatically improve health outcomes, while reducing overall health care costs. As our partnership with SensiGen has progressed, we have been increasingly impressed with the capabilities of the AttoSense technology and the significant commercial potential of these tests. This acquisition is highly synergistic given our ability to rapidly bring these fully developed assets to market as laboratory developed tests (LDTs) via the Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine in the near-term and potentially as in vitro diagnostics in the future."

"Sequenom's proven development capabilities and in-house CLIA lab facilities could dramatically accelerate the market introduction and growth of the AttoSense portfolio," said Shawn M Marcell, president and chief executive officer of SensiGen. "Sequenom's ability to offer AttoSense and SEQureDx tests directly to health care providers could allow for significantly broader and more rapid commercialization than we could achieve on our own."

SensiGen's AttoSense assays can accurately identify minute quantities - in some cases as little as a single copy - of the biomarkers that signal the onset of major diseases or the pathogens that cause them. These assays utilize the unique capabilities of Sequenom's proprietary MassARRAY System, which couples state-of-the-art Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with Mass Spectrometry (MS). Because the mass of a biological substance is highly specific, this technique is well suited for identifying nucleic acid targets that are difficult to detect accurately by current hybridization methods, and/or are found in extremely small quantities. The AttoSense technology enables the use of smaller, more manageable primer sequences that take the fullest possible advantage of the capabilities of the MassARRAY System to accurately detect DNA from a wide range of biological specimens, including virus, bacterium or cell, from any biological sample, including blood, urine and tissue.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sequenom will acquire all of SensiGen's currently developed assays, including the AttoSense HPV-G and HPV-Q tests for cervical cancer, AttoSense HPV-C for head and neck cancer, the AttoSense Kidney Test and the EpiSense Lupus Panel, along with certain other assets and intellectual property rights, in a stock and cash-based transaction. The total transaction purchase price of $8.7 million includes future earn-out milestone payments.

Sequenom is committed to providing the best genetic analysis products that translate the results of genomic science into solutions for noninvasive prenatal diagnostics, biomedical research, translational research and molecular medicine applications, especially in women's health.

SensiGen is a biotechnology company focused on gene-based molecular diagnostics. The Company develops advanced high value diagnostic tests to enable early detection of diseases, aimed at improving standards of care and reducing overall health care costs.