Caliper Life Sciences Unveils LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System, the Next Generation in Microfluidic Drug Discovery Systems
HOPKINTON, Mass. — Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.
(Nasdaq: CALP), today unveiled the LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System at LabAutomation 2004 in San Jose, CA. The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is the latest addition to the company’s suite of
LabChip Microfluidic Systems. The automated system performs unattended biochemical and cell-based screening assays using Caliper’s microfluidic chips.
“The LabChip 3000 instrument platform is the first major product introduction since Zymark Corp. and Caliper Technologies combined to create Caliper Life Sciences,” stated Kevin Hrusovsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caliper Life Sciences. “We have successfully merged Zymark’s knowledge of automation liquid handling and discovery applications with Caliper’s expertise in microfluidics to create a system that we expect will be rapidly recognized as the highest-quality approach to screening candidate drug compounds
against biological targets. Liquid handling and automation have already revolutionized the sector and advanced systems such as LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System allow for an even higher level of
discovery capability and efficiency.”
The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is a significantly updated and improved version of the Caliper 250 system, which has been recognized by leading scientists from major pharmaceutical companies as the most cost-effective, high-quality way to screen for drugs. The new system is approximately one-third the size of a Caliper 250 system and more affordably priced, making it more accessible for both small and large companies and setting the stage for mass adoption of microfluidic
screening systems.
“The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is an integrated research platform that can benefit research scientists in many areas of drug
discovery by enabling an unmatched level of automation and data quality,” stated Seth Cohen, Ph.D., Director of Application Sciences at Caliper Life Sciences. “Our systems consistently produce data of the highest quality and reproducibility, with high Z’values and few false positives and negatives. We are excited to bring a more
advanced and refined level of precision to both existing users and to those who have been unable to afford or accommodate automated microfluidic platforms in the past. The entry-level Assay Development Station is ideal for selectivity screening, enzyme kinetic optimization and IC50 determinations, and a user can upgrade the system into a full screening system should their requirements increase.”
Significant user input led to redesigns of the optical, plate handling and chip interface systems, resulting in improved reliability and reduced instrument setup time. In addition, the LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is designed on a modular platform, allowing users the opportunity to evaluate the remarkable benefits of microfluidics in their lab without investing a large amount of
capital. The entry level LabChip 3000 Development Station is an economically priced, basic system that is fully upgradeable for high-throughput screening applications. The LabChip 3000 Screening System provides automated plate-handling and full environmental temperature and humidity control, allowing for unattended operation for up to 16
hours. Both systems offer the choice of fluorescence excitation and detection wavelengths.
The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System runs assays that cover the most frequently screened target classes including kinases, phosphatases, proteases, and GPCRs. Increasingly, such assays are being applied not only in primary screening but throughout the drug discovery process including selectivity screening and generation of structure-activity relations (SARs).
About Caliper Life Sciences
Caliper Life Sciences uses its advanced liquid handling and LabChip technologies to create leading edge tools that accelerate drug discovery and enable diagnosis of disease. Caliper headquarters are located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, with R&D, operations and manufacturing facilities for LabChip devices in Mountain View, California, and direct sales, service and applications support throughout the world. Caliper customers and partners include many of the largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences companies. For more information, please visit Caliper’s web site at http://www.caliperLS.com.
The statements in this press release regarding events and results to occur in the future are “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding the expected recognition of the LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System as the highest-quality approach to
screening candidate drug compounds against biological targets and our customer’s ability to attain higher levels of discovery capability
and efficiency. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Caliper from those projected. These risk factors are discussed
under the caption “Factors Affecting Operating Results” in Caliper’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2003. Caliper expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly
any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Caliper’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements are based.
LabChip is a registered trademark of Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.
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