Acquisition Opens up Cytogenetic Testing Arena For PerkinElmer

PerkinElmer has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Signature Genomic Laboratories, LLC, (Spokane, Washington), which specialises in diagnostic cytogenetic testing of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with unexplained physical and developmental disabilities.

“We are delighted to have Signature become part of the PerkinElmer team. Signature brings very strong complementary assets for diagnosing disorders that are often undetected by traditional genetic tests,” said Robert Friel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PerkinElmer. “Patients, families, researchers and clinicians will benefit from our combined expertise, as accurate diagnosis is crucial to providing answers that lead to better care, treatment and understanding of patients with birth defects, behavioural issues, delay in development or learning problems.”

Founded in 2003 by Lisa G. Shaffer, PhD and Bassem A. Bejjani, MD, Signature Signature’s microarray diagnostic technology is available for both pre-natal and post-natal identification of DNA alterations associated with genetic disease. More recently, Signature launched a suite of services for the diagnosis of patients with leukemia.

“As a global leader in genetic screening technologies and services, PerkinElmer clearly has the resources and worldwide presence to enable our combined testing services to reach more patients and families,” said Dr Shaffer, President and CEO, Signature. “We believe that this move will not only benefit patient populations around the world, but help us continue our success in genetic diagnostic innovation.”