Sequenom Announces License And Marketing Agreements With Laboratoire Cerba In France

SAN DIEGO and ST OUEN L'AUMONE, France, May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced that it, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM), has entered into technology licensing and marketing agreements with Laboratoire Cerba in France for noninvasive prenatal aneuploidy testing. These agreements will expand access to Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21™ PLUS laboratory-developed test and the technology used in the test to healthcare providers and their patients via Laboratoire Cerba's network in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and portions of the Middle East and Africa.

"This new relationship with Laboratoire Cerba, one of the leading diagnostics service providers in Europe, will enable us to leverage Laboratoire Cerba's strong network of facilities to provide healthcare providers and their patients with access to our innovative noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) technology," said William Welch, President and COO, Sequenom, Inc. "We look forward to collaborating with Cerba to continue to build upon the momentum we've seen with the adoption of our testing services worldwide."

Under the terms of the license agreement, Sequenom will license its cell-free fetal nucleic acid technology to Laboratoire Cerba to establish its noninvasive fetal aneuploidy testing service in France. Laboratoire Cerba will also have rights to market its noninvasive testing service in multiple countries, including France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Cameroun. Effective immediately, the contract term for the technology license is active through 2018.

"Combining Sequenom CMM's prenatal testing technology with our laboratory testing expertise and network is great news for expectant families in Europe, as we will be able to provide them important information about their pregnancies in an accurate, safe and efficient method," said Sylvie CADO, COO, Laboratoire Cerba. "We believe our markets are anxious for access to NIPT technology, and we are enthusiastic to develop this innovative test in France. This collaboration gives us the opportunity to increase our portfolio in the field of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. We look forward to a successful and productive relationship with Sequenom and Sequenom CMM."

The MaterniT21 PLUS LDT analyzes the relative amount of 21, 18, 13, as well as X and Y chromosomal material in cell-free DNA.  The test is intended for use in pregnant women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy and can be used as early as 10 weeks' gestation. Estimates suggest there are about 750,000 pregnancies at high risk for fetal aneuploidy each year in the United States.  The MaterniT21 PLUS test is available exclusively through the Sequenom CMM as a testing service provided to physicians.  To learn more about the test, please visit www.Sequenomcmm.com.

About Sequenom Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is a life sciences company committed to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions. Sequenom develops innovative technology, products and diagnostic tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and molecular diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Sequenom maintains a Web site at http://www.sequenom.com to which Sequenom regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about Sequenom. Interested persons can subscribe on the Sequenom Web site to email alerts or RSS feeds that are sent automatically when Sequenom issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the Web site.

About Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM^®) is a CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics reference laboratory currently with two locations dedicated to the development and commercialization of laboratory developed tests for prenatal and eye conditions and diseases.  Utilizing innovative proprietary technologies, Sequenom CMM provides test results that can be used by health care professionals in managing patient care.  Testing services are available only upon request by physicians.  Sequenom CMM works closely with key opinion leaders and experts in obstetrics, retinal care and genetics.  Sequenom CMM scientists use a variety of sophisticated and cutting-edge methodologies in the development and validation of tests.  Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics. Visit http://www.sequenomcmm.com for more information on laboratory testing services.

SEQUENOM^®, MaterniT21™ and MaterniT21™ PLUS are trademarks of Sequenom, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

About Laboratoire Cerba Laboratoire Cerba is a leading European specialized laboratory based in France and ISO 15189 accredited. Since its inception in 1967, it offers private laboratories and public hospitals in more than 35 countries a broad range of specialty testing services, such as molecular biology testing, oncology testing, allergy testing, hormonology testing, infectious disease testing and diagnostic genetic testing and has developed a broadly recognized expertise in innovation for new tests.

It is the founding member of the Cerba European Lab Group, a leading European clinical pathology laboratory, providing routine and specialized clinical laboratory testing services primarily in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide in the clinical trial phase of their drug development processes.

Through its Routine Lab and Specialized Testing operations, the Group offers a range of over 2000 routine and specialty clinical tests used by doctors and medical institutions to diagnose, monitor and treat diseases. The Central Lab testing operations, which operated through the BARC subsidiaries, provide safety and efficacy testing services to pharmaceutical companies and contact research organizations worldwide in connection with drug development processes.

For more information concerning CERBA, please consult our web site www.lab-cerba.com

Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding expectations for the development and commercialization of prenatal laboratory testing services in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including laboratory developed tests for fetal aneuploidies, the duration of and performance, sales and payment expectations under the licensing agreement and marketing agreement, the potential for additional launches in other countries, and Sequenom's commitment to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks and uncertainties associated with reliance upon the collaborative efforts of Laboratoire Cerba, Sequenom, and Sequenom CMM and those parties' abilities to develop and commercialize new technologies and products, particularly new technologies such as prenatal and other diagnostics and laboratory developed tests, Sequenom's ability to manage its existing cash resources or raise additional cash resources, competition, intellectual property protection and intellectual property rights of others, government regulation particularly with respect to diagnostic products and laboratory developed tests, obtaining or maintaining regulatory approvals, ongoing litigation and investigations and other risks detailed from time to time in Sequenom, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that may change and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Sequenom, Inc. undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

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SOURCE Sequenom, Inc.