EBIO - 2.20/2.28 Buying started coming in just after I made the last post. Anyway, food safety is one segment of their tech.
Epoch Biosciences Licenses Its MGB Eclipse(TM) Probe Systems For Food Safety Testing
Tuesday October 28, 8:09 am ET
BOTHELL, Wash., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Epoch Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: EBIO - News), a provider of proprietary products that accelerate genomic analysis, announced it has entered into a worldwide non-exclusive license with BioControl Systems, Inc., of Bellevue, Washington, a provider of microbiology test kits for food safety for incorporation of its MGB Eclipse Probe System technology into BioControl's products.
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Under the license and supply agreement, BioControl received a non-exclusive license to the MGB Eclipse technologies, and exclusive license to specific probe sequences for the field of food safety testing. Epoch will receive technology access fees, product sales from shipments of MGB Eclipse probes and primers to BioControl, and royalties on BioControl's sales of testing systems to end-users. The use of MGB Eclipse probes and primers for food testing expands the utility of the MGB Eclipse Probe System outside of its current use for research. Other financial terms were not disclosed.
William G. Gerber, M.D., chief executive officer of Epoch, said, "Our MGB Eclipse Probe System has become the gold standard in the research community, and our company is pursing objectives to introduce our technology into other markets, including diagnostics and bioterrorism. This adoption of our technology by a leading supplier of food safety tests is another validation of the broad utility of MGB Eclipse. Adding another growing market to our portfolio of revenue sources contributes to the stability and the potential of our company."
Philip Feldsine, president and chief executive officer of BioControl Systems, said, "We have a high standard of food safety in this country due in large part to the application of scientific measurement and control methods to food processing and handling. BioControl has a proven track record of innovation in the field of food safety testing. This is quite complementary to Epoch's technological innovations."
Approximately 76 million people experience food-borne illness each year in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there was a 16 percent decline in food-related illnesses during the period 1996-2002. The CDC has attributed this achievement in part to the implementation of the Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for meat and poultry production facilities. In order to continue the positive trend, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is advancing a five-point strategy emphasizing science and education. Specific initiatives include the use of more effective technologies in food processing plants and more scientific research focused on the entire farm-to-table continuum.
MGB Eclipse Probe Systems
MGB Eclipse Probe Systems are probe and primer sets used for a variety of genetic analysis applications, such as gene expression profiling, SNP analysis, and pathogen detection. The systems are compatible with the existing installed base of real-time PCR instruments and reagent systems that have been widely adopted around the world and are considered the gold standard in genetic sequence detection. MGB Eclipse Probe Systems incorporate Epoch's proprietary technologies, including MGB(TM), modified nucleotides, and specialized dye and quencher technologies, and are designed by sophisticated easy-to-use software to support custom ordering of unique probe and primer sequences specific to the needs of individual researchers. As a result, MGB Eclipse Probe Systems not only offer a competitive alternative for routine sequence analysis, they often outperform leading chemistries for more specialized applications such as splice variants and problematic SNPs.
About Epoch Biosciences
Epoch Biosciences, Inc. develops and sells proprietary products with commercial applications in the genomics and molecular diagnostics fields. Epoch's technology has numerous applications including the detection of inherited diseases and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify individuals at risk for disease or adverse drug reactions. The Company's chemical reagents enhance the performance of genetic analysis procedures, and are compatible with the majority of DNA analysis systems currently employed or under development for research and diagnostic uses. The Company licenses its chemistries to leading genomics companies for incorporation in their systems and distribution to end-users. Information about Epoch is available at www.epochbio.com.
About BioControl Systems
BioControl Systems, Inc. is a private, Bellevue, Washington-based company focused on industrial microbiology testing. Incorporated since 1985, BioControl has developed one of the most comprehensive lines of proprietary microbiology tests for food safety, quality control and HACCP monitoring. The company offers a broad range of rapid pathogen tests for organisms including Salmonella, Listeria and E.coli O157:H7, and also markets products for hygiene monitoring, quality assurance, microbiology counting, and protein detection. The company's food and safety kits are used by food processors, independent testing laboratories, and government laboratories around the world. More information on BioControl Systems is available at www.biocontrolsys.com. |
