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DELPHIC ACQUIRES IQUR’S DIAGNOSTICS BUSINESS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS POSITION
WITHIN HIV AND HEPATITIS
January 2009: Delphic, a provider of specialist diagnostics for HIV and
hepatitis since 2001, has acquired the diagnostics business of iQur, a
biotechnology company specialising in chronic liver disease. The acquisition
enables Delphic to leverage its capabilities and infrastructure to offer
improved services in infectious diseases to the clinical and clinical trials
markets, and to access the growing market for blood borne virus screening.
Tim Leaver, CEO of Delphic, said: “This is an important acquisition for Delphic.
We have consolidated our expertise in infectious diseases and proven our ability
to identify and successfully integrate complementary businesses into the group.”
iQur is a spin-out from the University of Southampton, a result of the
University’s partnership with the IP2IPO Group plc (AIM: IPO), the intellectual
property company specialising in commercialising university technology. It has
now divested itself of its diagnostics business to concentrate on its vaccines
research programme. In addition to acquiring iQur’s diagnostics business,
Delphic successfully managed its own spin-out from the University of Liverpool
in 2005 by acquiring its therapeutic drug monitoring service, a product used to
individualise drug therapy for people with HIV and hepatitis.
Tim Leaver continued: “Personalised medicine is the future of drug therapy with
technology transfer from clinical and academic settings having a pivotal role.
We are already providing biomarkers and companion diagnostics for infectious
diseases and we intend to apply these skills to meet patient needs in other
therapy areas.”
Delphic’s investors include The Capital Fund, Ulive Enterprises (the University
of Liverpool’s IP commercialisation company) and MMC Ventures Ltd.
Jonathan Coker of MMC commented: “We are delighted by this acquisition. Delphic
is now well placed to exploit its leading position within the infectious
diseases market. This addition to its growing portfolio of services will enhance
its ability to secure both patient care and clinical trial contracts.”
About Delphic
Delphic is a specialist laboratory company with world-leading capabilities
in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics. It was the first company in the world to
offer an integrated diagnostics and biomarker service in HIV and is now applying
that model in hepatitis. It has particular expertise in infectious diseases,
including capabilities in study design and in method development and transfer,
and a growing clinical trials portfolio. It is planning to apply its expertise
to other therapy areas. Delphic is growing, organically and by acquisition, into
a specialist biomarker and companion diagnostics company able to support the
growing demand for personalised medicine in clinical therapy and in drug
development. Its laboratories are certified to ISO, GCLP, CAP and CLIA. It has
global reach via its own laboratories in the UK and partner laboratories in
Italy, Spain, Greece and Argentina. Delphic’s headquarters are in London and its
UK laboratories are in Liverpool and Kent.
Contact:
www.delphicdiagnostics.com
Tim Leaver, CEO
+44.20.7599.0777
Kathryn Winter, Communications Director
+44.20.7499.0777
kathryn.winter@delphicdiagnostics.com
About MMC Ventures
MMC Ventures Ltd (MMC) invests growth capital in UK companies. With £70m
under management, MMC supports its companies through multiple funding rounds as
they grow. MMC invests on behalf of private investors and smaller institutions
and offers a tailored portfolio service. Since it began in 2000, MMC has
established a strong track record of growing and selling businesses.
Contact:
www.mmcventures.com
Alanna Frieda
MMC Ventures
020 7361 0212
alanna.frieda@mmcventures.com
Daniela Cormano
Cardew Group – PR for MMC Ventures
t 020 7930 0777
daniela.cormano@cardewgroup.com
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