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Asuragen to Present at Upcoming 2017 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting
[November 08, 2017]

Asuragen to Present at Upcoming 2017 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting


Asuragen, Inc., a global molecular diagnostics product company changing the way patients are treated in genetics and oncology by bringing complex molecular tests to hospital and reference labs, will host a corporate workshop and present three posters at the 2017 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Conference November 15-18 in Salt Lake City.

The workshop will host Thomas W. Prior, Ph.D., FACMG, professor and director of the molecular pathology department at the Ohio State University, and Andrew Hadd, Ph.D., director of research and development at Asuragen, to discuss repeat expansion disorders and solutions for analyzing these complex sequences. These expansions, implicated in myotonic dystrophy and neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's disease, are characterized by repetitive DNA sequences that are difficult to analyze using standard technologies, which complicates their diagnosis and understanding.

As part of the workshop, the panel will discuss Asuragen's assays in development to aid clinical researchers investigating such repeat expansion disorders. The first of these assays, the AmplideX® PCE/CE DMPK Kit* for interrogation of the gene implicated in myotonic dystrophy type I, is expected to become available for Research Use Only in the first half of 2018. It leverages the company's proprietary amplification chemistries to help labs better examine the gene involved in this disease.

"The very nature of repeat expansion disorders makes them technically challenging to consistently diagnose. It is critical to have a robust assay available to gain a better understanding of how repeat expansions correlate to these devastating diseases," said Dr. Prior, who is involved with developing clinical testing guidelines for myotonic dystrophy. "Without the infrastructure requirements for Southern blot, Asuragen's assay fundamentally simplifies the way we are able to analyze and understand these highly complex DNA sequences. In our laboratory, we have ested over 100 samples with complete concordance and are very eager to move forward with this test."



"We're proud to expand upon the pioneering work we've done to make the analysis of diseases like fragile X syndrome, which is also characterized by repeat expansions, accessible to any lab," said Matthew McManus, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Asuragen. "This technological breakthrough has become our foundation for developing simple, innovative tests for repeat expansion disorders to deliver powerful answers that can impact patient treatment decisions and improve lives."

The workshop, titled, "Next-generation Genotyping of Unstable DNA: Expanding AmplideX® PCR (News - Alert) Technology Across Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Disorders," will take place at noon on November 15, 2017, at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, Room 251A.


Also during the conference, Asuragen's senior vice president of research and development, Gary Latham, Ph.D., will speak about Asuragen's growing portfolio in repeat expansion disorders, as well as preliminary performance data of these assays on the newly launched SeqStudio™ Genetic Analyzer at a corporate workshop hosted by ThermoFisher titled "Introducing the SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer: Expert results simplified," taking place at 11 am on November 15, 2017.

Asuragen will present the following three posters about emerging developments within its oncology portfolio during Saturday's poster session from 9:45-10:45am.

  • ST115: An efficient and ultra-sensitive next-generation sequencing method for profiling circulating tumor DNA (Brian Haynes, Ph.D.)
  • ST109: A modular next-generation sequencing technology that couples the detection of RNA structural variants with DNA mutations in lung cancer (Richard Blidner, Ph.D.)
  • H55: BCR-ABL1 minor breakpoint monitoring using an analytically validated multiplex assay (Justin Brown, Ph.D.)

Full abstracts can be found on the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics website. The company will also have a presence at booth #1201 during the conference.

* Product currently in development. For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Asuragen

Asuragen is a molecular diagnostic company changing the way patients are treated in genetics and oncology. The quality, simplicity and sensitivity of its products brings precision medicine within reach. Asuragen's diagnostic systems, composed of proprietary chemistry and software, deliver powerful answers using broadly installed instrument platforms. Asuragen is a product foundry rapidly and efficiently addressing current and emerging clinical needs including cancer diagnosis and monitoring, reproductive health and aging, serving laboratories across a patient's lifespan with its best in class diagnostic tests. For more information, visit www.asuragen.com.


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