Progenika, Inc., the American subsidiary of the Progenika Group, has signed an agreement with ARUP laboratories of Salt Lake City (USA) to provide blood group genotyping reference laboratory services starting in November this year. By virtue of this agreement, Progenika will determine patient red blood cell antigen profiles when serology has logistic and functional limitations (an antigen is a substance that prompts the generation of antibodies and can cause an immune response).

The BLOODchip, a Progenika blood group genotyping microarray, simultaneously detects over 100 genetic variants in the nine blood group systems that are most relevant to transfusion safety and overcomes these serological limitations.

Progenika’s blood group genotyping supports disease management for patients whose condition requires chronic transfusions. It enables accurate identification of red blood cell antigens in patient serum, even in the presence of antibodies, whether these antigens are common or rare, highly or poorly antigenic, or abundantly or weakly expressed.

Blood group genotyping is useful for patients with conditions such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in which red blood cells are coated with immunoglobulins (DAT+) that interfere with the antibodies used for serotyping. It is also useful for individuals with genetic diseases that require frequent transfusions, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia, who may develop antibodies to low‐immunogenicity antigens present on donor red blood cells. For these specific patients, precise identification of genetic variants at an early stage will facilitate blood matching in subsequent transfusions.

“We are very excited about our relationship with ARUP,” said Joyce Samet, Progenika’s Chief Operating Officer, “as it will allow hospitals and health care facilities served by ARUP to access the most comprehensive blood group genotyping testing available to deliver better care for their transfused patients.” Moreover, Ms. Samet stated that “this agreement is part of our strategy to work with leading laboratories to facilitate broader distribution of our testing.”

“Our relationship with Progenika enables ARUP to offer this innovative and highly complex testing to our clients to ease blood matching for patients requiring frequent transfusions,” said Noriko Kusukawa, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of New Technology and Licensing at ARUP Laboratories.

Progenika, Inc., and its Spanish affiliate, Progenika Biopharma SA, develop and commercialize DNA-based tests to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Progenika is a world leader in multiplex genotyping technologies and markets BLOODchip™ in Europe, the most comprehensive blood group genotyping tool available to improve patient safety and to facilitate blood matching. In addition to blood group genotyping, Progenika and Progenika Biopharma also develop and commercialize DNA-based testing products and services to detect familial hypercholesterolemia and other dyslipidemias. Progenika is also engaged in research and development programmes to diagnose genetically complex diseases.

On its part, ARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory and an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. With 2,700 employees, ARUP offers more than 2,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to highly esoteric molecular and genetic assays, for patients throughout the U.S.A.