QuantuMDx Group Receives Exclusive Licenses from Nanosys

The core intellectual property involves the use of nanowire and nanotubes in biosensors, including field effect transistors (FETs) biosensors, which were derived from the work of Prof. Charles Lieber, a professor of chemistry at Harvard, pioneer in nanotechnology, and one of the founders of Nanosys.

In exchange, Nanosys has received an upfront license fee and downstream royalty payments. No other financial details of the deal were disclosed.

Nanosys owns an extensive IP portfolio around multiple aspects of nanotechnology including quantum dots and nanowires for diverse applications, with a primary focus on LED backlighting and energy storage. QuantuMDx Group will use the exclusive access to these nanowire composition, synthesis and use patents, along with its proprietary molecular biology, chemistry and microfluidic technologies in a series of portable devices for molecular diagnostics and DNA Sequencing. The power of Nanosys’ technology is that it enables accurate diagnosis and quantification of multiple biomarkers using small arrays of biosensors that readily lends itself to “DNA sequencing while you wait” diagnostic devices with numerous medical, veterinary and military applications.  

“Rapid and sensitive disease detection and DNA identification, performed at the point of care, at an affordable price point and to standards usually only seen in the referral laboratory will revolutionize care pathways in the developed world and open up a whole new standard of diagnosis in third world nations” said Elaine Warburton, chief executive officer of QuantuMDx Group. “QuantuMDx Group is meeting this global health challenge and is currently developing several low cost assays on our hand-held point of care device including multi-drug resistant infectious disease testing and companion diagnostics for accurate drug prescription.”

QuantuMDx Group’s medical director, Professor Sir John Burn, went on to say "We are creating a simple to use, sample to result device which will provide robust, handheld, clinical DNA sequencing at the point of care. The technology is cheap by any measure and with turnaround times in the minutes, it will be an exciting and significant new instrument in the clinical tool box. I believe it will facilitate the wider uptake of DNA sequencing by the medical fraternity."

Andrew Filler, general counsel and vice president of intellectual property at Nanosys, commented, "We are pleased that QuantuMDx Group has chosen to become our exclusive licensee of our broad and deep intellectual property around nanowires for biosensor devices. Through continued development, licensing and commercialization efforts, Nanosys is expanding the transformative applications of advanced materials in the marketplace.”