New partnership brings transformative, high-resolution single-cell genomic technology to the field of preimplantation genetic testing in the pursuit of improved discovery and clinical outcomes.
DURHAM, N.C., October 18, 2022 – BioSkryb Genomics, a pioneer in developing scientifically advanced single-cell analysis molecular tools, today announced a multi-year agreement with Cooper Genomics, a leader in the reproductive health market, to license BioSkryb’s proprietary genomic amplification technology. Cooper Genomics will utilize the BioSkryb technology to enhance their preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) capabilities. The agreement will also permit Cooper Genomics to market and distribute the BioSkryb technology for the PGT and women’s reproductive health market globally. Infertility affects approximately 15 percent of couples, an estimated 48.5 million couples worldwide. Often couples turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant. Preimplantation genetic testing aims to identify euploid embryos (those with the correct number and makeup of chromosomes) with the aim of selectively transferring these euploid embryos a single embryo at a time, which has been shown in multiple studies to increase live birth rate, decrease miscarriage rate and reduce multiple pregnancy chances.
According to Charles Smith Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Life Science Services and Innovation at Cooper Genomics, “Screening IVF embryos for chromosomal and other genetic abnormalities before transfer has been shown to increase the likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy, including increasing implantation rates, reducing miscarriage rates, increasing live birth rates, and enabling single embryo transfers. Having access to the BioSkryb technology will provide a new level of genomic analysis and testing accuracy, enhancing the positive impact we have in the field of women’s reproductive health and in the lives of patients around the world.”
The newly announced deal will provide Cooper Genomics with BioSkryb’s ResolveDNA TM single-cell genomic amplification technology, enabling researchers and clinicians to unlock deeper insights into the genome to evaluate embryonic viability. ResolveDNA incorporates proprietary Primary Template-directed Amplification (PTA) technology. PTA employs controlled reaction parameters, allowing uniform amplification of >95% of the genomes of single cells across multiple clinical and research applications – even in low input samples – with market leading precision and sensitivity. This approach results in the highest quality analyses available today for single-cell genomics across many disciplines including, but not limited to, oncology, neurology, cell and gene, cardiovascular, microbiome, and reproductive health. “The ground-breaking technology behind our ResolveDNA product was designed specifically to address the challenges seen with current bulk sequencing and single-cell analysis, such as uniform coverage of the genome, breadth of genomic coverage, as well as specificity of the resolution required for accurate variant calling. These challenges can particularly hinder confidence in the analysis of preimplantation genetic testing,” said Jay A.A. West, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of BioSkryb. “The partnership with
Cooper Genomics will bring more precise and complete understanding of the genome, further supporting the accurate determination of viable embryonic use.”
Gary Harton, Ph.D., GM, Reproductive Health at BioSkryb, added to the excitement around the impact for IVF patients, “Having spent the majority of my career performing work at the single cell level, I was astounded by the data produced by the ResolveDNA platform. When utilized on embryo biopsy samples, adding PTA to the front-end of PGT testing at Cooper Genomics will unlock a wave of new discovery and clinical improvements for IVF patients globally.”
The deal spans multiple years and is exclusive in the PGT and Women’s Reproductive Health markets.
About BioSkryb Genomics
BioSkryb Genomics is a developer of genomic amplification technologies. BioSkryb Genomics engineers single-cell whole genome and whole transcriptome amplification tools to study genomic heterogeneity aiding researchers in the discovery of novel insights into human disease at the cellular level. The company is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. For more information, visit bioskryb.com.
About CooperSurgical
For more than 25 years, CooperSurgical has been a leader in manufacturing, marketing a wide range of trusted and innovative brands that have assisted clinicians in advancing the standard of health care for women and families worldwide. CooperSurgical is at the forefront of delivering innovative assisted reproductive technology and genomic solutions that enhance the work of ART professionals to the benefit of families. CooperSurgical is a wholly owned subsidiary of CooperCompanies (NYSE: COO). CooperSurgical, headquartered in Trumbull, CT, produces and markets a wide array of products and services for use by women’s health care clinicians. More information can be found at www.coopersurgical.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Contacts
BioSkryb Genomics
Company Contact: Brian Reese, info@bioskryb.com, +1.919.370.0841 Media Contact: Kalyn Kolek, kos@anzupartners.com