GSK and Enigma Diagnostics announce collaboration on assay development and commercialisation of Enigma’s ML platform

Issued: Wednesday 10 August 2011, London UK

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Enigma Diagnostics Limited today announced that they have signed agreements for the supply and commercialisation on an exclusive basis of the Enigma^® ML system in Europe and other designated key countries, including India, Brazil and Russia. The agreements include development by Enigma of an initial range of respiratory tests for use on its real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology platform, and provide GSK the opportunity to generate revenues from further test developments in infectious diseases and in other therapeutic areas relevant to its healthcare business. 

The Enigma^® ML system has the potential to deliver a result from a raw sample in under 60 minutes in a point of need setting. The new collaboration significantly extends the scope of the Influenza partnership announced in July 2009 for the Enigma^® ML system and builds on GSK’s extensive expertise and heritage within the respiratory therapeutic area and the extended capabilities offered by the Enigma^® ML system.  

Under the terms of this agreement, GSK will make an additional equity investment and upfront payment, R&D-related payments, and royalties on net sales of resulting products. Additional payments will be subject to agreed commercialisation milestones.

John McKinley, Chairman and CEO of Enigma, said: “This is a major collaboration and represents a significant milestone for Enigma. These agreements for assay development, commercialisation and supply will leverage GSK’s extensive sales and marketing force with Enigma’s unique Point of Care system which has potential uses across a number of human diseases. This is a partnership which will deliver much needed “test and treat” capability to infectious disease management.”

Eddie Gray, President, Pharmaceuticals Europe of GSK said: “GSK is committed to improving the lives of patients suffering from respiratory and other diseases by providing truly innovative healthcare solutions to improve the care of these vulnerable patient populations.  The collaboration with Enigma provides GSK the opportunity to offer a more complete solution to the healthcare community and improve patient care through the provision of rapid, state of the art diagnostic tests.”

Notes to Editors

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information please visit www.gsk.com

Enigma Diagnostics Limited & The Enigma^® ML system

Enigma specializes in developing next generation rapid molecular diagnostic instrument platforms for decentralized and point-of-care settings. Enigma’s first IVD instrument is the Enigma^® ML system which has the potential to deliver raw sample to result diagnostic testing in less than 60 minutes and provide accuracy standards comparable with reference laboratories.  Operators of the Enigma ML system will not require specialist training allowing the system to be used in a broad range of settings in both developed and emerging countries.  The Company is developing leading rapid diagnostic point-of care instrument and assay platforms, based on unique technologies that are underpinned by its broad Intellectual Property portfolio.  For more information visit www.enigmadiagnostics.com

Polymerase Chain Reaction technology (PCR) is a widely used & highly specific diagnostic technique in which a few copies of target DNA are amplified to generate millions of copies of the specific DNA sequence making it easier to identify the sample.

Enigma Diagnostics Enquiries:

GlaxoSmithKline cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
Under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect GSK's operations are described under 'Risk Factors' in the 'Business Review' in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2010.