Company Announcements

The Beijing Genome Institute and PentaBase ApS are developing real-time PCR kits for the detection of clinical biomarkers.

Roche Diagnostics granted a license to BIOTECON Diagnostics GmbH for the development, production and sale of kits for food and GMO analysis using the LightCycler instrument with melting curve analysis technology.

Merck KGaA began selling BIOTECON Diagnostics’ Foodproof brand of PCR detection kits.

In May, BIOTECON Diagnostics licensed rights to Applied Biosystems’ PCR technology for food testing and GMO applications.

In April, QIAGEN NV entered into a license and supply agreement for BioHelix’s Helicase Dependent Amplification technology, which works at constant temperature.

Applied DNA Sciences and Smiths Detection signed a memorandum of understanding for Smiths to provide Applied DNA Sciences with exclusive use of the Bio-seeq PLUS platform for authentication, anticounterfeiting and antidiversion. The Bio-seeq PLUS uses LATE (linear after the exponential) PCR, which Smiths exclusively licensed from Brandeis University.

China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine named DuPont Qualicon’s BAX System as an official method for pathogen detection in food imports and exports.

In July, Cepheid revised its forecast for 2008 sales from $182–$189 million (see IBO 4/30/80) to $173–$177 million, with product sales expected to be $164–$167 million, due to lower-than-expected noncore clinical partner purchases from BD and Roche and lower Biothreat sales due to a reduction in tests used by the US Postal Service. As of June 30, the company had an installed base of 717 GeneXpert systems and 3,560 modules.

Roche Diagnostics licensed its melting curve technology to Agilent in July.

Product Introductions

Lonza introduced the microCompass TYMC (total yeast and mold count) Detection Kit for microbial detection.

Fluidigm launched the BioMark IFC Controller MX for high-throughput genetic analysis.

Fluidigm introduced the BioMark 96.96 Dynamic Array, which can perform 9,216 simultaneous real-time PCR experiments running TaqMan assays.

Invitrogen introduced the SequalPrep System for next-generation sequencers, consisting of the SequalPrep Long PCR Kit and Normalization Plate (96) Kit.

Promega launched the PowerPlex S5 System, a five loci short tandem repeat system for sorting crime samples.

Applied Biosystems introduced the TaqMan Express Plates, containing dried-down TaqMan Gene Expression Assays in customized sets.