MGI Tech Co., Ltd. (“MGI”), a company dedicated to developing core tools and technologies that drive innovation in life sciences, today announced entering into an exclusive licensing agreement through its US subsidiaries – MGI US LLC and Complete Genomics Inc. – with Swiss Rockets AG, a Switzerland-based biotech firm, for the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of exclusive sequencing products based on MGI’s CoolMPS™ technology and non-exclusive accessory products outside the Asia-Pacific and Greater China regions (i.e., Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). The strategic partnership is set to fully unlock the patent value and productization capabilities of CoolMPS, complementing MGI’s tried-and-true StandardMPS™ technology and cementing the company’s leadership in the field of genomic sequencing.
CoolMPS technology, distinguished by its innovative antibody-based recognition chemistry, represents a breakthrough in sequencing by eliminating DNA “scarring”, a common issue found in conventional long-read methods. It employs nucleotides with natural bases and extension blocks, combined with labeled antibodies that are both base-specific and block-dependent. The CoolMPS method links each nucleotide with labeled multiple fluorescent dye antibodies.
Deployed on MGI’s DNBSEQ™ platforms, CoolMPS delivers sequencing reads reaching up to 600 to 700 bases, covering comprehensive genome, transcriptome, and microbiome analyses. Its high fidelity enables crucial applications including early cancer detection and monitoring through whole genome sequencing-based assays, providing scientists, researchers and the wider life science sector with longer and more accurate reads at reduced costs.
Under the licensing agreement, Swiss Rockets is granted exclusive rights to MGI’s CoolMPS-related intellectual property, including patents, know-how, and software, to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize relevant products for global markets excluding Asia-Pacific and Greater China.
Swiss Rockets, reinforced by an investment agreement with leading US public health company Emergent BioSolutions, will leverage the license to further expand CoolMPS’s global reach and applications by manufacturing CoolMPS sequencers and consumables for markets including US and Europe. The technology and its products will also be used to augment the company’s personalized disease and aging prevention and optimal disease treatments aimed at precision longevity and medicine.
“This partnership marks a pivotal step for MGI to maximize the impact of CoolMPS worldwide by joining forces with a like-minded innovator to commercialize and scale this groundbreaking sequencing technology for improving global health,” said Dr Rade Drmanac, Chief Scientific Officer of MGI. “For our customers, partners, and investors, this also injects renewed confidence in MGI’s financial strength, business focus and technological leadership, providing the global life science community once again with the right to another choice.”
“We are excited to license CoolMPS from MGI, enabling Swiss Rockets to advance our mission in oncology and viral disease innovation through world-class technology,” added Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic, CEO of Swiss Rockets. “CoolMPS complements our drug development pipelines and diagnostic platforms, reinforcing our capabilities to deliver precise, personalized solutions for patients and communities in need.”
