Company Announcements

Affymetrix entered into an agreement in October 2011 with the Broad Institute to chart the genomic changes involved in more than 20 types of cancer as part of the Broad’s work on the Cancer Genome Atlas. Using Affymetrix’s Genome-Wide Human SNP 6.0 Array, 13,500 cancer samples will be processed.

In November 2011, Affymetrix exclusively licensed Genisphere’s RNA Target Amplification and FlashTag Biotin miRNA labeling technology to address FFPE samples for its GeneChip Arrays.

Affymetrix entered into a memorandum of understanding with BGI in January for a strategic codevelopment and comarketing collaboration to develop and commercialize a portfolio of plant, crop and livestock microarrays for genotyping analysis spanning a range of applications.

In February, Affymetrix’s GeneChip System 3000DX v2 was approved by China’s State Food and Drug Administration for in vitro diagnostic use.

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) and Abcodia formed a collaboration to improve the early detection of pancreatic cancer using OGT’s functional protein array platform and Genefficiency miRNA profiling array.

Arrayjet and Fios Genomics formed a strategic alliance in November 2011 for microarray solutions and services.

NanoInk named Cambridge Bioscience as its exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland.

Agilent formed a collaboration with Malaysia’s Monash University Sunway campus in December 2011, which included the establishment of the Monash-Agilent Authorized Microarray Service Center.

In December 2011, Arrayit approved the spin-off of its majority-owned Arrayit Diagnostics subsidiary. Existing shareholders will receive a 78.18% interest in the spin-off as a stock dividend.

In January, GE Healthcare granted Main Manufacturing the exclusive rights to all commercial aspects of the FAST Protein Array product line. Main has been manufacturing the product line for several years.

Product Introductions

Microarrays Inc. introduced the MI PathArray assays for studying targeted biological pathways. The first arrays launched were for apoptosis, growth factors and inflammation research.

InDevR launched the ampliPHOX colorimetric detection system for microbiological analysis. It works with any biotinylated target captured on a glass surface and costs less than one-tenth of the price of a typical fluorescence microarray reader.

NanoInk released in January the NanoArray Assay System. An automated platform for the analysis of protein NanoArray assays, it can create highly reproducible protein arrays over millimeter areas with nanometer precision and fluorescently image them with 0.5 µm resolution.