The ELITech Group announces the sale of microarray assets to Gamida for Life

2010-02-01

The ELITech Group announces the sale of microarray assets to Gamida for Life

PARIS, FRANCE – January 26, 2010 – The ELITech Group, a privately held group of companies and worldwide manufacturer and distributor of in vitro diagnostic equipment and reagents, announces that its Epoch Bioscience division of Wescor, Inc has sold the intellectual property and tangible assets associated with its electronic microarray technology, previously acquired as part of the ELITech Nanogen asset purchase, to the Gamida For Life Group. The microarray technology includes all properties associated with the so-called NC400 electronic microarray product line.

“Our NC400 technology is an important nucleic acid profiling platform with particular applications in single nucleotide polymorphism applications. The microarray technology will be developed and applied within the Gamida for Life Group principally by Gamidor Diagnostics and Savyon Diagnostics, who are strong diagnostic solution providers with a growing molecular diagnostics presence. The Gamida for Life Group has developed a variety of focused applications for the NC400 and we believe that our divestiture of these former Nanogen assets to it will allow the full and appropriate realization of the potential for this cutting-edge technology.
The asset sale allows ELITech to remain focused on our core strengths and gives us the ability to enhance our presence in molecular diagnostics through our attention on real-time PCR relationship", said Pierre Debiais, the ELITech Group’s President and founder.

The ELITech Group has become a major player in the international medical market. The Elitech Group has brought together IVD specialty companies to provide the best offering of innovative, unique and also routine products to laboratories operating closer to the patient. It comprises:

• Vital Scientific and Seppim which manufacture a full range of clinical chemistry analyzers and reagents;
• ELITech Microbio (former International Microbio) which manufactures microbiology kits;
• Wescor which manufactures unique laboratory instruments such as strainers and sweat test devices;
• inoDiag which manufactures a unique multiplex serology device;
• Nanogen which manufactures leading edge technology molecular biology kits;
• SERFIB which develops and manufactures wel established microbiology and immunology kits such as reagents for the detection of parasites and rheumatoid factors.

Through direct sales in Europe and North America and distribution capabilities in over 100 countries, the ELITech Group offers clinical chemistry, microbiology, immunology and molecular biology products from its own facilities as well as complementary third-party products see www.elitechgroup.com.

Gamida for Life is a privately-owned international group of companies dedicated to the healthcare field. The principal holding company is Gamida for Life BV of the Hague, the Netherlands. Through subsidiaries in Bulgaria, France, Israel, Turkey, the United Kingdom and elsewhere and distribution networks worldwide, the Group markets, sells and services diagnostic systems, medical rquipment and devices and products for scientific research sourced both from its own development and manufacture and from leading international suppliers.

For additional information, please contact:
at Elitech: Pierre Debiais: (tel. +33 (1) 41 45 07 10).
at Gamidor: Yacob Ofer: (tel. +972 3 927 7277).