Linkage Biosciences Awarded Four-Year Contract by the UK's NHS Blood and Transplant

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Linkage Biosciences, a global leader in the field of transplant diagnostics, announced today that it has been awarded a four-year contract by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in the UK for implementation of the LinkSēq™ Real-Time PCR HLA typing product.  The new tissue typing platform, including Real-Time PCR instrumentation, will be installed and adopted by various laboratories across the country. 

Dr. Andrea Harmer, National Head of NHS Blood and Transplant H&I Services, said, "At NHS Blood and Transplant, we were looking for the best technology available for our rapid typing requirements. We developed a comprehensive matrix to evaluate multiple platforms and were extremely pleased with the results from Linkage Biosciences.  The laboratory tests performed by our scientists showed the product to be simple to use, fast, and robust."

"We are excited to partner with NHS Blood and Transplant and support the fast-growing adoption of LinkSēq tissue typing technology," said Zachary Antovich, Chief Executive Officer of Linkage Biosciences.  "The technical advantages of LinkSēq, as supported by all the necessary evidence during the evaluation period, clearly established the superiority of our offering.  The decision of the UK's NHS Blood and Transplant to select our product is the outcome of a thorough evaluation of the competitive landscape and we suspect other nations will view this tender as a benchmark for their own assessment."

LinkSēq offers a dramatically simplified workflow for detecting Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes associated with tissue compatibility for organ transplantation.  With less than 10 minutes of set-up and no further operator intervention, LinkSēq provides complete molecular genotyping results in as little as 90 minutes.  Its simple workflow avoids post-amplification contamination, as well as allowing rapid turnaround time and increased laboratory productivity.

Since its introduction in 2011, LinkSēq technology has been adopted by more than 140 laboratories across four continents.  The company received regulatory approval in Europe in 2015.

About NHS Blood and Transplant

NHS Blood and Transplant is a joint England and Wales Special Health Authority.  It is responsible for ensuring a safe and efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS in England.  It is also the organ donation organization for the UK and is responsible for matching and allocating donated organs.

About Linkage Biosciences

Linkage Biosciences is a molecular diagnostics company developing and marketing products that dramatically improve and expedite complex genetic testing.  LinkSēq is the company's flagship technology, covering all classical HLA genes and over 13,000 alleles in a single test.  LinkSēq technology utilizes a proprietary assay methodology including reagents and software in combination with standard Real-Time PCR hardware to simplify the determination of complex genetic sequences.  Linkage Biosciences obtained CE IVD marking and ISO 13485 accreditation in 2015.  The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, USA.  Linkage Biosciences and LinkSēq are trademarks of Linkage Biosciences, Inc.

To learn more please visit www.linkagebio.com 

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SOURCE Linkage Biosciences