NEW YORK – UgenTec and DMark Biosciences have signed a distribution agreement to offer the UgenTec FastFinder PCR analysis software products to molecular diagnostics laboratories in Canada.
Toronto-based DMark specializes in providing workflow solutions to molecular biology and protein biology labs with an emphasis on qPCR and sequencing.
Duane Mendis, general manager at DMark, noted in a statement that Canada is currently undergoing a significant ramp up of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing initiatives.
"With supply chains under pressure, labs under pressure to deploy quickly, and expert molecular biologist personnel under strain, we're pleased we can now add UgenTec software to our portfolio and provide our customer labs with a solution from sample to answer — including data interpretation, sample workflow management, and LIMS connectivity," Mendis said.
Based in Hasselt, Belgium, UgenTec claims a global installed base of more than 100 molecular testing labs, and partnerships with leading molecular diagnostics vendors for its FastFinder platform.
"With several large-scale customers deployed in the US, partnering with DMark represents a great opportunity for further development in North America," said Steven Verhoeven, UgenTec's CEO.
The agreement will initially focus on COVID-19 testing but may eventually include other infectious disease and oncology testing, the firms said.
UgenTec inked agreements earlier this year to provide its software solutions to 35 private and public laboratories in France, and last year the firm was awarded a grant from the Flemish government to develop infectious disease monitoring platform.