GE Healthcare has acquired SeqWright, a provider of nucleic acid sequencing and other genomic services, adding complementary genomics capabilities to Clarient, a molecular diagnostics GE unit.

The deal also provides a platform for Clarient to expand its clinical diagnostic offerings to include next generation sequencing. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Sequencing, including next-generation DNA sequencing, is an important technology for GE's medical diagnostics business," said Carrie Eglinton-Manner, CEO, Clarient. "The acquisition of a specialized laboratory with long-standing expertise in the sequencing field as well as an established customer base allows us immediate entry into this high-growth space, and is an ideal complement to Clarient's existing protein and gene expression profiling in support of pharmaceutical and in vitro diagnostic studies."

SeqWright also has an extensive history of projects that focus on clinical trial and regulatory support for companion diagnostic submissions. The complementary capabilities of Clarient and SeqWright will allow the combined business to add immediate incremental value to existing pharmaceutical and biotechnology partnerships throughout their drug development and companion diagnostic development efforts.

Fei Lu, president and CEO of SeqWright, added, "As a CLIA-certified service provider, we are in a position to capitalize on the growing role next- and third-generation DNA sequencing technologies will play in clinical diagnostics. This partnership will put us in a position to apply the power of new direct detection technologies to clinical and companion diagnostics.”