OpGen forges agreement with Japanese importer

Madison, Wis. — DNA analysis company OpGen has cut an exclusive distribution agreement with Japanese importer M&S Instruments Inc.

M&S imports pharmaceutical, info-tech and biotech tools. The partnership will market OpGen's system for analyzing genomes to life-science researchers in Japan. The company's import product lines include reagents, kits and electrophoresis-related instruments and supplies. Primary customers include government and university research labs and pharmaceutical companies.

The two companies kicked off the partnership at an M&S-sponsored presentation from OpGen's chief science officer, Colin Dykes, at the Human Genome Organization's 10th International Genome Meeting recently held in Kyoto, Japan.

OpGen Inc. is commercializing Optical Mapping, a single-molecule DNA analysis technology, for rapid comparison of whole genomes. The system is made to obtain detailed genetic information from any organism with no prior sequence information, PCR, cloning or probes.