"This alliance provides Nanosphere with a premier distribution partner in Asia and access to robust ICAN technology that will enable rapid introduction of a powerful research system in the Asian marketplace," said Bill Athenson, Nanosphere vice-president of business development.
Takara will gain exclusive distribution rights for certain Nanosphere products in Asia - including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore - as well as non-exclusive rights in European countries and Russia. The companies will also jointly develop portable gene-detection systems that combine Nanosphere's nanoparticle DNA probe technology with Takara's ICAN isothermal gene amplification technology.
Founded by two professors at Northwestern University, Nanosphere's technology is based on gold nanoparticle probes. The company is focusing on "biodiagnostic nanoparticle probes and biomolecular detection systems for nucleic acid and protein identification". Nanosphere says that it is developing a hand-held device that can detect almost any viral, bacterial and genetic agent with a known DNA sequence. The start-up plans to begin beta testing its disease-detection systems later this year.