S.Korea's Seegene to share tech with Spanish diagnostics company

South Korea's in vitro diagnostic product maker Seegene Inc. on Wednesday said it signed a technology-sharing agreement with the Barcelona, Spain-based diagnostics company Werfen and started talks on the development of products customized for Spain and Portugal.

Seegene will share with Werfen its syndromic quantitative PCR technology, which finds the causative agent of a disease that causes similar symptoms. Seegene will provide its Seegene digitalized development system (SGDDS), a standardized automated system for diagnostic reagent development, and technology for automated reagent production.

This contract is Seegene's second on a technology-sharing project after its first in March with Israeli diagnostic company Hylabs.

The ultimate goal of Seegene’s technology sharing is a world free from all disease through popularization of its syndromic quantitative PCR technology. It plans to create an open innovation ecosystem to allow leading companies and scientists from each country to take part in the development of locally customized products using Seegene's know-how.

"We will actively share Seegene's technology and know-how including SGDDS so that any country or company can develop syndromic quantitative PCR reagents," Seegene founder and CEO Chun Jong-yoon said.

Werfen Chief Operating Officer Jose Luis Jaroca hailed his company’s partnership with Seegene, predicting the development of customized reagents for Spain and Portugal through technology sharing. 

Write to In-hyuk Park at hyuk@hankyung.com