Seegene Unveils Innovative Technologies CURECA™ and STAgora™ at ADLM 2025
Seegene Inc., a leading name in molecular diagnostics, showcased its advanced innovations—CURECA™ and STAgora™—at the ADLM 2025 held in Chicago from July 29 to 31. These groundbreaking technologies symbolize a giant leap toward fully automated and data-driven testing systems aimed at revolutionizing how infectious diseases are monitored and diagnosed globally. Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Seegene's Chairman and CEO, articulated the importance of these advancements during a press conference on July 30, emphasizing the company's goal of effectively utilizing diagnostic data while enabling laboratories worldwide to streamline complex testing workflows.
Traditional molecular testing systems often rely on manual interventions, making them susceptible to human error and limiting their efficiency and scalability. CURECA™ is remarkable as it represents the world's first fully automated PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) system that requires no human intervention. This innovation automatically conducts every step of the PCR testing process, including sample pretreatment, previously considered a manual task. Seegene points out that true total automation in diagnostics hinges on three vital conditions: the absence of highly trained personnel, around-the-clock processing capabilities, and seamless sample entry. With CURECA™, these conditions are met.
CURECA™ houses a unique module called CURECA™ Prep, capable of processing various sample types such as urine, blood, sputum, and feces—overcoming one of automation's historical hurdles. This comprehensive workflow encompasses everything from sample loading to nucleic acid extraction, amplification, and result analysis, all without the need for manual handling. Designed for continuous 24/7 operation, it minimizes human errors while improving workflow efficiencies, allowing qualified staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
The automation of diagnostic testing has proven challenging due to the variability in samples and the prerequisites for trained personnel to execute repetitive preprocessing tasks. CURECA™ aims to assist laboratories in addressing these barriers by offering a scalable and adaptable system that can adjust to different laboratory sizes and workflows. As Seegene explores broader automation solutions, CURECA™ Prep may potentially extend into other testing domains, such as clinical chemistry and immunodiagnostics.
Alongside CURECA™, Seegene introduced STAgora™, a cutting-edge platform crafted to aggregate and analyze PCR testing data in real time, furnishing laboratories with expansive context to enhance diagnostic workflows. STAgora™ integrates over 40 analytical tools providing functions like infection trend tracking, hospital-level positivity monitoring, and pattern analysis of co-infections among multiple pathogens.
Rather than just serving as a data repository, STAgora™ is designed to support labs in deriving meaningful insights from their testing data. In the current landscape, individual test results often yield limited information without comprehensive reference points. STAgora™ mitigates this limitation by enabling hospitals to generate their statistical datasets and compare aggregated data across institutions. This capability helps in swiftly identifying infection patterns while promoting data-driven decision-making.
Data shared via the STAgora™ platform is anonymized and formatted in accordance with the specific needs of each institution, allowing for secure and real-time sharing which can occur at local, national, or global scales. Dr. Chun reiterated Seegene’s long-term vision of creating 'a world free from disease' and stated that both CURECA™ and STAgora™ strengthen the five technological pillars foundational to the organization. These include Seegene’s patented PCR technology, their digitized development system, global technology exchange initiatives, and the integration of fully automated PCR and real-time data analytics capabilities.
The response from industry experts at the ADLM 2025 event was overwhelmingly positive. Jamel Giuma, President and CEO of JTG Consulting Group—a Miami-based laboratory IT consulting firm—noted, "Having attended many ADLM conferences over the years, CURECA™ stands out as one of the most innovative solutions I have encountered thus far. It has the potential to simplify laboratory workflows, alleviate staff burden, and significantly enhance operational efficiency."
Dr. Chun concluded that with CURECA™ and STAgora™, traditional barriers in molecular diagnostics are being dismantled. He drew comparisons to how smartphones and electric vehicles transformed their respective industries, asserting that these new technologies will redefine diagnostic testing capabilities, helping labs around the world achieve true automation, optimize diagnostic data utilization, and ultimately contribute to the goal of a disease-free world.
Disclaimer: CURECA™ and STAgora™, unveiled at ADLM 2025, are pre-commercial technologies under development and are not yet authorized for clinical diagnostic use in any jurisdiction.