6 Apr 2021 14:43
Yourgene Health plc
("Yourgene" or the "Group" or the "Company")
Testing service agreement with MyHealthChecked plc
Yourgene Genomic Services providing COVID-19 services to MHC's new Boots partnership
Manchester, UK - 6 April 2021: Yourgene (AIM: YGEN), the international molecular diagnostics group, announces that it has signed a COVID-19 testing services agreement with its partner MyHealthChecked plc (AIM: MHC) ("MyHealthChecked") to support their newly announced partnership with Boots UK Limited ("Boots"), the health and beauty retailer and pharmacy group. Through the service agreement, a proportion of the MyHealthChecked™ COVID-19 tests will be processed by Yourgene Genomic Services ("YGS") at the Company's Citylabs 1.0 laboratory in Manchester, which is well equipped to manage the increased demand. In addition, samples processed at MHC's own laboratories are already using Yourgene's Clarigene SARS CoV-2 PCR CE-IVD test kit.
The MyHealthChecked™ COVID-19 at-home nasal swab kit and PCR laboratory testing service will be promoted online and in Boots stores across Great Britain, allowing customers to take a nasal swab themselves at home and send samples safely and securely via the Royal Mail Tracked 24 service to be tested using established laboratory-based PCR detection methods. Yourgene's Manchester based laboratories will be used to undertake testing and results are provided within 24-48 hours, via an online portal.
Volumes are unquantified at this stage until lockdown restrictions ease. The general testing and Fit to Fly service will be launched online shortly and promoted across over 507 stores in England, Wales and Scotland from April.
Lyn Rees, CEO of Yourgene Health and Non-Executive Director of MyHealthChecked, commented: "I would like to congratulate MyHealthChecked on this agreement with Boots and we look forward to supporting their COVID-19 testing service and product supply to their laboratory. COVID-19 PCR tests have become a travel essential and as we anticipate the return of international travel later in the year, we expect to see an increase in demand which we are well positioned to deal with."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation. The Directors of the Company take responsibility for this announcement.
Yourgene Health plc Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer | Tel: +44 (0)161 669 8122 investors@yourgene-health.com | |||
Barry Hextall, Chief Financial Officer | ||||
Joanne Cross, Director of Marketing | ||||
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (NOMAD) | Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 0880 | |||
Liam Murray / James Caithie / Ludovico Lazzaretti |
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N+1 Singer (Joint Corporate Broker) | Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000 | |||
Aubrey Powell / Tom Salvesen / George Tzimas | ||||
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Corporate Broker) | Tel: +44 (0)20 7710 7600 | |||
Nicholas Moore / Matthew Blawat / Ben Maddison | ||||
Walbrook PR Ltd (Media and Investor Relations) | Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or yourgene@walbrookpr.com | |||
Paul McManus / Lianne Cawthorne | Mob: 07980 541 893 / Mob: 07584 391 303 | |||
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About Yourgene Health
Yourgene Health is an international molecular diagnostics group which develops and commercialises genetic products and services. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science.
Yourgene primarily develops, manufactures, and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, for reproductive health, precision medicine and now infectious diseases. The Group's flagship products include non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) for Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders, Cystic Fibrosis screening tests, invasive rapid aneuploidy tests, and a recent extension into the oncology space with DPYD genotyping.
The launch of Yourgene Genomic Services has enabled Yourgene to offer a global laboratory service network equipped to be a full life-cycle partner for clinical, research and pharmaceutical organisations to support partners at the preclinical, clinical, and post-market stages to develop, manufacture, obtain regulatory approval and commercialise new products and services. In addition, Yourgene Genomic Services offers an NIPT and high throughput COVID testing service.
In August 2020, Yourgene acquired Coastal Genomics, Inc., a sample preparation technology company based in Vancouver, Canada, enabling the Company to extend its offering and IP portfolio in the DNA sample preparation sector. The acquisition increased Yourgene's geographical penetration into the US and Canada, supplementing existing coverage in the UK, Europe, MEA and Asia.
Yourgene Health is headquartered in Manchester, UK with offices in Taipei, Singapore, the US and Canada, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "YGEN". For more information visit www.yourgene-health.com and follow us on twitter @Yourgene_Health.