BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA-- July 06, 2023 -- Microba Life Sciences Limited (ASX: MAP) (“Microba”) is pleased to announce that it has executed a commercial agreement with Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL) through a wholly owned subsidiary Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology Pty Ltd, to distribute Microba’s advanced infectious disease test MetaPanel™ in Australia (Distribution Agreement).

The announcement of the MetaPanel™ Distribution Agreement marks the first commercial agreement between Microba and Sonic Healthcare following the announcement to the ASX of the $17.8m strategic investment by Sonic Healthcare into Microba on 29 November 2022. At the time of the investment, Sonic and Microba agreed initial terms for a strategic partnership to distribute Microba’s microbiome testing technology into Sonic Healthcare’s major markets. The execution of this Distribution Agreement now completes the first of those commercial distribution arrangements, providing exclusive distribution rights to deliver the MetaPanel™ test Australia-wide through the Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology network.

Microba’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Luke Reid said, “We are excited to be bringing Microba‘s testing products to clinicians and their patients throughout Australia via Sonic Healthcare’s specialist national laboratory network. The MetaPanel™ technology was developed over many years and represents a world-first in pathology through comprehensive metagenomic testing for gastrointestinal infectious diseases. Sonic Healthcare is a leading provider of high-quality pathology services and will lead the commercialisation efforts to deliver the MetaPanel™ test nationally. Sonic Australia is the first region to distribute Microba’s technology, with plans to deliver our testing technology and products into additional markets across the globe through our partnership”.