Transgenomic, Inc has licensed an exclusive US basis intellectual property from IntegraGen SA that will enable Transgenomic to develop and commercialize a genetic test designed to assess the risk of autism in children who have older siblings diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Under the agreement Transgenomic will develop the test in the company’s CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified laboratory, and anticipates launching the new test in the second quarter of 2010. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to develop and offer a genetic test to clinicians and parents that will assist in the evaluation of children who are thought to be at high risk of being autistic,” stated Craig Tuttle, president and chief executive officer of Transgenomic. “We believe that the use of this test in conjunction with standard diagnostic tools will allow for the earlier diagnosis of autism, and importantly, the more timely initiation of treatment plans for these children. We look forward to adding this proprietary test to our growing commercial offerings.”

Autism is a developmental disorder that causes significant social, communication and behavioural challenges in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 110 children in the US has an autism-related disorder, and that the incidence of autism is up 57 per cent from 2002 to 2006. Even though parents typically express concerns about their child's developmental progress before the age of three, the average age of diagnoses is not until 53 months. Early intervention has been shown to be effective in improving a child’s ability to develop into a competent adult. Children with a sibling who has been diagnosed with autism are at a significantly greater risk of developing the disorder.

“IntegraGen is excited about the opportunity for our technology to be commercialized by Transgenomic,” said Dr Bernard Courtieu, chief executive officer of IntegraGen. “We will continue our gene discovery efforts to further our understanding of autism while focusing on other diseases where molecular tests may help with patient diagnosis and disease management.”

IntegraGen is a biotechnology company dedicated to gene discovery which allows for the development of molecular diagnostics products and services that provide clinicians with new tools to personalize diagnosis, treatment, and therapy.

Transgenomic is a global biotechnology company specializing in high sensitivity genetic variation and mutation analysis, providing products and services in DNA mutation detection and discovery for clinical research, clinical molecular diagnostics and pharmacogenomics analyses.