Genisphere, LLC., a developer of life science technology solutions, announced two agreements to exclusively license the company’s RNA Target Amplification and FlashTag Biotin microRNA labeling technologies to Affymetrix, Inc. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Affymetrix will utilize the two technologies to further its position as the leader in the RNA microarray expression market, in particular for pre-clinical applications, such as formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples, central to the study of cancer genomics. Genisphere’s proprietary technologies provide streamlined, high-fidelity target preparation methods yielding high quality data and unmatched reproducibility when used in combination with Affymetrix GeneChip Arrays. The FlashTag miRNA kit has been on the market since 2009, generating a loyal customer base due to its ease of use and ability to robustly label any miRNA sample, including RNA derived from blood and FFPE samples, without the need for purification post-labeling. The enhanced RNA amplification process for global expression profiling, now part of Genisphere’s new Sensation kits, represents an improved and streamlined version of the previous products.
“Affymetrix’ licensing of our core technologies for these applications provides validation of Genisphere’s RNA amplification and miRNA labeling kits, and is another example of our ability to partner successfully and fulfill the needs of our customers,” said Jim Kadushin, Chief Operating Officer of Genisphere. “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Affymetrix for these applications.”
“Working in partnership with Genisphere, this agreement provides exclusive access to proprietary technology that advances Affymetrix’ goal of expanding our microarray focus in clinically relevant applications, such as expression measurement in FFPE and microRNA, an area which is proving increasingly important in cell regulation and disease. We are confident that the combination of these technologies provides superior performance and improved workflow solutions,” said Frank Witney, President and Chief Executive Officer at Affymetrix. “As the leader in global gene expression technology, this exclusive licensing agreement for both the RNA amplification and miRNA labeling kits provides Affymetrix customers with the tools to complete experiments faster, more efficiently, and more accurately across a greater variety of sample types on our proven microarray platforms.”
Dr. Bob Getts, Genisphere’s Chief Science Officer, added, “We were able to successfully optimize our proprietary RNA amplification and miRNA labeling technologies to achieve robust sample preparation methods, enabling Affymetrix GeneChip Array users to obtain high quality data in support of important biological conclusions.“
Date: November 17, 2011
Source: Genisphere, LLC.
