Simplifying the ELISA development process
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Innova Biosciences and TGR BioSciences recently announced that they have entered into an agreement to promote and co-market each other's complementary technologies.
We used this opportunity to catch up with Innova to learn more about the company, the agreement and what it is that makes the technologies so complementary.
AB: Can you tell me a little about Innova Biosciences?
Innova Biosciences (IB): Innova Biosciences is a Cambridge, UK, based company that was originally founded in 2002 by Dr Nick Gee, the current CEO/CSO. In 2006 our patented Lightning-Link® conjugation chemistry was invented, and released in the form of easy-to-use kits. These kits revolutionised the conjugation of antibodies to enzymes and fluorescent dyes, providing a consistent, 30 seconds hands-on, 100% recovery method as an alternative to traditional techniques characterised by complex procedures requiring technical expertise, and often resulting in poor yields and variable results. Lightning-Link® has since confirmed its position as the leading conjugation technology, and is being increasingly used by commercial antibody manufacturers and assay developers. Following on from Lightning-Link®, Innova Biosciences has developed further novel conjugation products. These include InnovaCoat®, a unique coating for gold nanoparticles that enables simple conjugation of antibodies to those particles for use in lateral flow based immunoassays, and ThunderLink®, which enables conjugation of antibodies to oligonucleotides enabling the development of highly sensitive assays such as ImmunoPCR. We have a strong R&D pipeline and anticipate the launch of further conjugation products throughout 2014.
AB: How did the agreement with TGR BioSciences come about?
IB: We have been working with TGR since 2009. Initially they licensed Lightning-Link® for use in their range of ELISA assays. TGR subsequently developed their CaptSure™ technology, a major step forward in simplifying ELISA assays whilst enhancing sensitivity. During the development of CaptSure™ TGR identified Lightning-Link® as providing the best results for the preparation of the detection antibodies used in such assays, and the current co-marketing agreement arose directly from there.
AB: Does Innova actively pursue these types of co-marketing agreements?
IB: This is our first agreement of this kind, but we are currently working on a number of similar opportunities. Whilst each of those is unique in its own right, they all recognise and build upon the simplicity and excellent performance of Innova Biosciences’ technologies in a wide range of assay types. We are always interested in talking to companies who believe they have technologies that are complementary to Lightning-Link® and our other core products.
AB: What are the features of the technologies that make them so complementary and beneficial to the ELISA development process?
IB: Both technologies provide solutions that simplify different parts of the ELISA development process, whilst at the same time enhancing results by providing improvements in assay sensitivity and reducing costs. The CaptSure™ technology works by simplifying the ELISA process itself, whilst Lightning-Link® provides similar benefits in the preparation of the detection antibody, which needs to be conjugated to an enzyme. Whilst both technologies can be applied independently, their combination further enhances assay performance.
AB: Does this agreement open new markets and applications for Innova?
IB: In terms of applications our products are already widely used in traditional ELISA based assays. However, the partnership with TGR is expected to generate further licensing agreements with companies who want to benefit from Lightning Link® within newly developed assays utilising CaptSure™.
Innova Biosciences were speaking to Ashley Board, Managing Editor for Technology Networks. You can find Ashley on Google+ and follow Technology Networks on Twitter.
