Whatman enters deal on smoking quit kits with g-Nostics

Whatman, a UK-based supplier of separations technology to the life sciences industry, has signed an agreement with g-Nostics to combine their respective technologies to develop NicoTest, a personalized diagnostic to aid smoking cessation. g-Nostics is a spin-out from the UK's University of Oxford, which specializes in the development of personalized treatment solutions.

Under the terms of the deal, the two companies will pool their intellectual property to develop a diagnostic kit to determine a smoker's safe utilization of a specific dose of nicotine. By targeting smokers, the largest single patient group worldwide, the test will allow the introduction of novel interventions to dramatically improve smoking cessation rates, in addition to minimizing adverse effects of treatments, the firm noted.

Whatman will be awarded manufacturing rights for resultant test kits, out-licensing opportunities of the IP patent pool and an undisclosed revenue sharing schedule for access fees and royalties that result from the out-licensing activity. Further financial details were not disclosed.