Seegene, a South Korean provider of PCR molecular diagnostics, has signed a partnership agreement with Werfen, a specialised diagnostics firm, for a technology-sharing initiative.
According to the agreement, Seegene and Werfen will establish a new company, Werfen-Seegene, in Spain.
The latest partnership is Seegene’s second milestone in its technology-sharing initiative, following the establishment of a new company in March 2023 with Hylabs, a diagnostic company in Israel.
Previously, Seegene and Werfen collaborated to expand the former’s OneSystem business. Both firms agreed to jointly develop syndromic qPCR assays suitable for the Spanish and Portuguese healthcare systems.
The initiative aims to globally share Seegene’s advanced diagnostic and data analysis technologies. This includes syndromic real-time PCR and the automated product development system (SGDDS) with partnered companies in each country.
Seegene’s syndromic real-time PCR technology allows simultaneous detection of up to 14 pathogens in a single reaction tube, providing quantitative data for each target.
Werfen CEO Carlos Pascual said: “We are excited to leverage Seegene’s unparalleled technology and manufacturing expertise to develop products tailored for the Spanish and Portuguese market, where there is a high demand for rapid product development due to the frequent emergence of new infectious diseases and viral mutations.”
Partnering companies will work with local scientists and experts to develop diagnostic tests that meet the specific needs of their communities.
Werfen-Seegene will focus on developing products for infectious diseases. This includes antimicrobial and drug resistance testing, viral load testing, monitoring for organ transplant patients, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and region-specific emerging diseases.
The new company will utilise Werfen’s local infrastructure to create products that address local healthcare needs in Spain. The region is said to have one of Europe’s largest in vitro diagnostics (IVD) markets.
The joint venture will focus on obtaining CE-IVDR approval and expanding into European and global markets.
Seegene CEO and founder Jong-Yoon Chun said: “We will continue to share our technology with leading global companies and countries that are interested in our technology-sharing initiative.
“Werfen-Seegene will play a pivotal role in accelerating global expansion of our initiative.”
This joint venture will be established following necessary government approvals, expected by mid-2025.
Seegene has also established key partnerships with Microsoft and Springer Nature for its technology-sharing initiative. The collaboration with Microsoft aims to enhance product development for global companies.
