Mobidiag, Genewave and Amplidiag Announce Merger to Create a Leading Innovator in Molecular Diagnostics

Mobidiag Oy/Ltd, Genewave SAS, and Amplidiag Oy today announced a definitive agreement to combine the three companies to create a technology leader in molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases The new Mobidiag combines Mobidiag’s and Amplidiag’s high-multiplex proprietary diagnostic test portfolios with Genewave’s automated and integrated test platform. The merger was accompanied by a financing round by existing investors Helsinki University Fund, iXLife, Tutor Invest (Medtech Rahasto Ky), and others, as well as public funding support from the Finnish funding agencies, Tekes and Finnvera, and the EU. Joining as Mobidiag’s new CEO is Tuomas Tenkanen, the former R&D Director of the diagnostics PCR products provider, Finnzymes Oy, which was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

The transaction was effected as a share exchange, upon which Genewave and Amplidiag became subsidiaries of Mobidiag Oy/Ltd. The new company is headquartered in Helsinki, with a center of excellence in Paris, and now has the diagnostic test pipeline, integrated test platform, leadership, infrastructure, and financial resources to develop and bring to commercialization its automated instrument and panel of diagnostic tests, capable of identifying a large number of pathogens from a single patient sample.

“The fusion of these three complementary companies creates a unique opportunity to bring forward the next generation of infectious disease diagnostics to dramatically improve global health care,” said Tuomas Tenkanen, CEO, Mobidiag.

Genewave specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of cutting-edge microarray instrumentation for diagnostic, clinical and life science research. Genewave’s innovative GeneSpress® system is an automated and integrated platform for highly multiplexed molecular diagnostic tests. The compact system integrates DNA purification, PCR amplification and microarray hybridization and detection into an automated workflow on a single, closed lab-on-chip cartridge. Among other innovative features, the platform incorporates Genewave’s patented TouchArray™ optical detection technology for highly sensitive imaging of microarrays.

Mobidiag’s clinically proven, CE-IVD marked Prove-it™ diagnostic tests enable up to 84 pathogens and antibiotic resistance markers to be detected in a single assay, representing cutting-edge multiplexing capabilities. Current test products are intended for diagnosing bacterial and fungal sepsis, viral central nervous system infections and bacterial bone and joint infections. Mobidiag has built a reference customer base with its current test portfolio and has generated market acceptance in Europe. The automation of Mobidiag’s tests will answer the need of clinical laboratories for automated and integrated solutions for diagnostic testing of severe infectious diseases.

Amplidiag provides a broad panel of diagnostic tests for infectious diseases Amplidiag has substantial intellectual property covering testing and nucleic acid extraction methods for contagious gastrointestinal and other serious diseases.