Cartagenia and Interactive Biosoftware Integrate Technologies to Optimize Next Generation Sequencing, Broaden Utility

BOSTON and ROUEN, France, Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cartagenia Inc. and Interactive Biosoftware LLC (IB) jointly announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which Cartagenia will integrate IB's Alamut gene visualization software into its BENCHlab platform, a web-based software and database platform that interprets genomic variation in routine diagnostics. The combined solution merges the variant data, filtering, interpretation and management capabilities of the BENCHlab platform with the annotation and visualization capabilities of the Alamut software. Cartagenia and IB will each market the combined solution to their respective customers, while continuing to sell their own products independently.

Andre Blavier, CEO of Interactive Biosoftware, called the alliance between the companies a natural fit.

"This partnership with Cartagenia makes perfect sense," Blavier said. "Next generation sequencing (NGS) is now migrating from elite academic centers for use clinically and commercially in laboratories and medical centers worldwide. To facilitate this broader use, the combination of our technologies is a natural and important step. Our Alamut solution is now extended with capabilities which were previously unavailable to us, such as patient data base management, massively parallel variant filtering, and advanced lab reporting."

Since early in 2012, a number of genetics labs have successfully set up their NGS diagnostics on the BENCHlab NGS platform with Alamut embedded in their workflow, and are pleased with the integrated experience, noted Herman Verrelst, CEO of Cartagenia. The high level of automation and the lab-validated variant filtration pipelines in BENCHlab are perfectly complemented by the Alamut gene browser that allows lab technicians to visualize specific variants of interest.

"After the launch of our BENCHlab NGS solution earlier this year, we have seen a strong adoption by existing customers as well as by new genetics labs that are rolling out next generation sequencing platforms in clinical diagnostics," Verrelst said. "Many of these customers were already using the Alamut software for data interpretation and visualization. A technical integration of the two systems provides a single workflow experience. We now also have a commercial agreement with IB through which our customers can obtain the Alamut solution directly from us under a single license agreement and under favorable commercial terms once they go to higher data and user volumes, which is anticipated with the introduction of NGS platforms."

With the combined software, candidate variants are assessed in detail and then labeled as a clinical finding on the patient findings in BENCHlab, seamlessly tying in with its template based lab reporting system, and managed variant databases. Additionally, with BENCHlab, the lab gets access to clinical information that allows assessing variants in context of phenotype, and has the option to integrate findings and conclusions with a Lab Information Management system or the Electronic Health Record System at the lab or hospital.

Blavier added that IB will continue to focus on building the core Alamut product and provide the highest-quality product to the market, as IB has done in the past.

"We have recently extended the software with BAM file visualization features and introduced Alamut-HT, a high-throughput annotation engine for NGS- generated variant files," Blavier said. "This software enriches raw NGS variants with multiple attributes including effects on human genes, single nucleotide polymorphisms information, and missense and splicing predictions. The latest version includes annotations from HGMD, the Human Gene Mutation Database, and from ESP, the NHLBI Exome Server Project."

Cartagenia and Interactive Biosoftware will showcase the integrated solution at the ASHG conference, November 6-12, in San Francisco, booths #1022/1024 and #413, respectively.

About Cartagenia

Cartagenia supplies diagnostic software, database systems, and related services to genetic labs and clinicians, enabling them to perform clinically relevant genetic analyses quickly and efficiently, and offer patients and careers high-quality genetic interpretation and counseling.

The Cartagenia BENCH platform is built in collaboration with genetics labs and clinical experts involved in routine medical practice. Because of this, BENCHlab NGS addresses the specific needs of genetic diagnostic labs and clinicians.

Cartagenia BENCHlab NGS is built using a certified ISO13485 Quality Management System and is registered with the FDA and marketed as an exempt Class I Medical Device in the United States subject and as a Class I Medical Device in Europe in conformity with the essential requirements and provisions of the Council Directive 93/42/EEC concerning medical devices, and with the relevant harmonized standards EN ISO62304.

www.cartagenia.com

About Interactive Biosoftware

Established in April 2007 and headquartered in Rouen, France, Interactive Biosoftware (IB) was founded by a group of medical and computer scientists focusing on practical software applications for health care and life sciences, particularly in the field of molecular biology. The company engineers and manufactures the world-renowned decision software, Alamut, which aids geneticists and researchers in interpreting mutations and variations in human genes. The software makes  appropriate diagnostics, surveillance, and information-sharing between, and across, all tiers of human genome research. IB strives to play an active role in the process of understanding and finding solutions for society's most devastating diseases. For more information, please visit www.interactive-biosoftware.com, contact us at [email protected], or call us at +1 858-342-6807.

Contact:
CARTAGENIA
Herman Verrelst
CEO Cartagenia
Technologielaan 3
3001 Leuven
T +32 16 40 40 66
E [email protected]
www.cartagenia.com

ALLEN & CARON
Len Hall
VP Media Relations
T 1 949 474 4300
E [email protected]
www.allencaron.com

SOURCE Cartagenia Inc.