NHS awards cytogenetics tender to OGT

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), a provider of innovative genetics research and biomarker solutions to advance molecular medicine, has been awarded a tender by the UK National Health Service (NHS) for the supply of oligo-based arrays for cytogenetics.

The tender involves the cooperation of a number of health authorities. The two-year agreement covers a consortium of four NHS genetics labs (Bristol, Manchester, Salisbury and Sheffield), with an additional eight labs (Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, Great Ormond Street, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham and Oxford) able to take advantage of the agreed supply framework.

OGT submitted a variety of samples for processing and was successful against alternative array providers with its CytoSure ISCA 8x60k platform. The product was designed in collaboration with the International Collaboration for Clinical Genomics (ICCG) to deliver standardised, evidence-based designs to the cytogenetic research community.

“An exhaustive procurement and evaluation process was employed as, while we want to identify the most financially viable option, we can’t afford to compromise on quality,” said Chris Wragg, BSc, FCRPath, head of Molecular Cytogenetics at the Bristol Genetics Laboratory, who led the tender process.

OGT was the only supplier whose product correctly identified all the genetic abnormalities tested. This success was attributed to a combination of the array and associated CytoSure Interpret Software performance, which delivers reliable and user-friendly data analysis, providing rapid access to meaningful results. The software is provided with all CytoSure arrays.

“OGT was the only company able to deliver on quality, providing the best proposal, product and customer service,” said Wragg.

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