Curetis N.V. (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries "Curetis"), a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH (Vienna, Austria) and QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) have entered into a strategic licensing agreement for ARESdb and AREStools in the area of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research.
Under the terms of the agreement, QIAGEN has received an exclusive license to develop and commercialize general bioinformatics offerings and services for AMR research based on Ares Genetics’ database on the genetics of antimicrobial resistance, ARESdb, as well as on the ARES bioinformatics AMR toolbox, AREStools.
Ares Genetics retains the rights to use ARESdb and AREStools for AMR research, customized bioinformatics services, and the development of specific AMR assays and applications for the Curetis Group (incl. Ares Genetics) as well as third parties, e.g. other diagnostics companies or partners in the pharmaceutical industry. As the QIAGEN research offering is expected to also enable advanced molecular diagnostic services and products, QIAGEN’s customers may obtain a diagnostic use license from Ares Genetics.
“With QIAGEN as a prime supplier of industry-leading applications for the analysis and interpretation of biological data, we are well positioned to make ARESdb a key resource for cutting-edge research in the pressing healthcare issue of antimicrobial resistance,” said Dr. Andreas Posch, Managing Director and CEO of Ares Genetics. “This partnership has the potential to greatly facilitate our engagement with the public health and AMR research communities in the further development and expansion of ARESdb, our database that is also core to the NGS-based diagnostic solutions currently developed by Ares Genetics."
“Antibiotic-resistant diseases are an urgent threat to public health, as resistance undermines the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. This global problem cries out for molecular insights that can lead to new understanding and therapeutic approaches. Partnering with Ares Genetics to leverage their genomic content with QIAGEN’s expertise in bioinformatics, NGS and PCR technologies, we will expand our portfolio of solutions to help the global community fight these infections,” said Jonathan Sheldon, Senior Vice President and head of QIAGEN Bioinformatics. QIAGEN is committed to creating best-in-class Sample to Insight solutions that help combat the global crisis in antibiotic resistant pathogens. The collaboration with ARES builds on an already broad portfolio for infectious disease research tools and adds to other AMR-related initiatives. QIAGEN will leverage the AMR database from Ares Genetics with its expertise in bioinformatics, assays and services, enabling the research community to accelerate the fight against AMR."
“After the strategic collaboration agreement with Sandoz to develop a digital anti-infectives platform and an additional technology evaluation project for ARESdb with a global diagnostics player, the bioinformatics alliance with QIAGEN is a further example of our partnerships with industry leaders which leverage the GEAR assets acquired from Siemens in September 2016 that form the nucleus of ARESdb,” commented Dr. Achim Plum, CBO of the Curetis Group and Managing Director of Ares Genetics.
“Discussions with additional industry partners are ongoing and we are well positioned to execute on our strategy to build an industry consortium that leverages ARESdb and the artificial intelligence and bioinformatics solutions for AMR developed by Ares Genetics for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the management of severe microbial infections.”
About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites genetically change and thereby render established medications ineffective. Antimicrobial resistance occurs naturally, but is facilitated by the inappropriate use of medicines, for example antibiotics. (Ref. 1) This is a major concern because a resistant infection may be lethal, can spread to others, and imposes huge costs to individuals and society. According to a report commissioned by the UK Government and the Wellcome Trust published in 2016, rapidly spreading antimicrobial resistance caused by indiscriminate broad use of antibiotics is one of the big 21st century threats to human health and healthcare systems globally, with projected death tolls as high as 10 million by 2050. (Ref. 2) Ares Genetics believes that a better understanding of the epidemiology as well as the genetic mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance is key to developing rapid diagnostic tests that facilitate the more targeted use of current antibiotics and to developing novel antibiotics less prone to encounter resistance.
References
- WHO – What is Antimicrobial Resistance (https://www.who.int/features/qa/75/en/)
- Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report and Recommendations by The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance chaired by Jim O’Neill, May 2016 (https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160525_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf)
About Curetis and Ares Genetics
Curetis N.V.’s (Euronext: CURE) goal is to become a leading provider of innovative solutions for molecular microbiology diagnostics designed to address the global challenge of detecting severe infectious diseases and identifying antibiotic resistances in hospitalized patients.
Curetis’ Unyvero System is a versatile, fast and highly automated molecular diagnostic platform for easy-to-use, cartridge-based solutions for the comprehensive and rapid detection of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance markers in a range of severe infectious disease indications. Results are available within hours, a process that can take days or even weeks if performed with standard diagnostic procedures, thereby facilitating improved patient outcomes, stringent antibiotic stewardship and health-economic benefits. Unyvero in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products are marketed in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S.
Curetis’ wholly owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH offers next-generation solutions for infectious disease diagnostics and therapeutics. The ARES Technology Platform combines the presumably most comprehensive database worldwide on the genetics of antimicrobial resistances, ARESdb, with advanced bioinformatics and artificial intelligence tools.
For further information, please visit www.curetis.com and www.ares-genetics.com.