BILLERICA, Mass — RainDance Technologies, Inc., an innovative genomics tools company ‘democratizing’ molecular testing of complex diseases, today announced that it has developed a comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel for profiling actionable cancer mutations, enabling researchers to rapidly and cost-effectively analyze precious biopsy specimens. The ThunderBolts™ Cancer Panel targets 49 known cancer genes, including tumor suppressors, hotspots and drug resistance markers, and features industry breakthroughs in performance, sample flexibility, workflow, and cost.

Among its significant benefits, the ThunderBolts Cancer Panel:

• Allows cancer researchers to apply the latest Illumina NGS technology to analyze the more than 10 million tissue biopsies performed annually in the U.S.

• Leverages the more than 100 million precious and often degraded Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) cancer samples stored in biobanks around the world.

• Enables academic research, translational laboratories and pharmaceutical companies to more cost-effectively advance cancer studies.

“The ThunderBolts Cancer Panel will democratize the market for cancer and molecular pathology research by giving scientists a comprehensive and cost-effective analysis method to unlock the valuable genetic sequence information hidden in millions of tissue biopsies and in cancer biobanks around the world,” said S. Roopom Banerjee, President and CEO of RainDance. “At RainDance, we are leading a transformation in cancer and disease understanding, detection and monitoring by making innovative tools that simplify complex genetic testing for all.”

ThunderBolts Advantages

The ThunderBolts Cancer Panel covers 49 known cancer genes, including all of the content found on the Ion Torrent AmpliSeq™ Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 and Illumina TruSeq® Amplicon Cancer Panel products. The ThunderBolts Panel also features several industry firsts, including:

• Comprehensive content: 100 percent sequencing coverage of key portions of tumor suppressors, hotspots and drug resistance markers, including ALK, BRAF, EGFR, IDH1/2, JAK 2/3, KRAS, NOTCH1, NPM1, PIK3CA, PTEN, TP53 and other challenging gene regions, all in a single panel

• Low starting sample: As low as 10 ng starting DNA with no pre-amplification

• Sample flexibility: Compatible with fresh frozen, paraffin-embedded and plasma samples (for circulating tumor DNA)

• Streamlined for Illumina Sequencing: RainDance DirectSeq™ workflow eliminates and saves cost/time of Illumina library preparation by integrating sequencing adapters and sample indexers directly into the primers

• Fast and simple: 1.5 hours hands-on time, enabling results in approximately one day

• Ultra-sensitive: Designed to detect rare mutations down to less than 5 percent minor allele frequency (MAF)

• As low as $100 all-in per sample: Whole workflow cost includes all sample prep and Illumina sequencing (depending on sequencer indexing) with no up-front setup costs

• Low cost $50,000 System: Panel runs on the compact, deployable RainDrop™ Source instrument, extending the versatility of the RainDrop Digital PCR system with no additional instrument cost to current customers

First Access Program (FAP) Initiated

The ThunderBolts Cancer Panel is currently being made available to select First Access Program (FAP) participants. Researchers from FAP sites will present data at a workshop at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in April 2014 in San Diego, California.

Pierre Laurent-Puig, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at the Paris Descartes University Medical School said, “Looking at the data from formalin fixed samples, I am extremely impressed at the coverage and quality of the sequencing data that we have seen when starting with less than 10ng of amplifiable DNA.”

Regarding the ease of use, Tony Godfrey, Ph.D., Associate Chair for Surgical Research and Associate Professor of Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine commented, “My team is finding the workflow to be extremely easy to execute and the sequence data is very good quality. Furthermore, the low cost per sample will allow us to significantly increase the number of specimens we can analyze with our current funding.”

RainDance has continued to see strong interest in the FAP and has more than 20 molecular pathology and cancer thought leaders subscribed to date. For more information, on the ThunderBolts Cancer Panel, please visitRainDanceTech.com/ThunderBolts.

Leerink Global Healthcare Conference

Roopom Banerjee will be presenting more information on the ThunderBolts Cancer Panel during the 2014 Leerink Global Healthcare Conference on February 13, 2014 at 2:30 pm at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

About RainDance Technologies

RainDance Technologies is making complex genetics simple. The company’s ultra-sensitive genomic tools are leading to new non-invasive liquid biopsy applications for more accurate, reliable, cost-effective and early detection of cancer, inherited and infectious diseases. Major research institutions and laboratories around the world rely on RainDance systems’ superior performance. Based in Billerica, Massachusetts, the company supports customers using RainDrop Digital PCR and ThunderStorm Targeted DNA Sequencing Systems through its international sales and service operations as well as a global network of distributors and commercial service providers.

The RainDrop Digital PCR System and ThunderBolts Cancer Panel are for Research Use Only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.

RainDance Technologies, the RainDance Technologies logo, RainDrop, and ThunderBolts are trademarks of RainDance Technologies, Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.