SEQUENOM Sells MassARRAY(R) Compact to the Garvan Institute of Medical Research for Cancer Genetic Studies
SEQUENOM, Inc. (Nasdaq: SQNM) today announced the sale of a MassARRAY Compact system to the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a leader in gene based medical research based in Sydney, Australia. Also purchased were SEQUENOM’s proprietary single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Genotyping, SNP Discovery and Quantitative Gene Expression applications for use with the system. The Garvan Institute intends to use the MassARRAY system for the development of new genetic markers for cancer risk, diagnosis, disease progression and therapeutic responsiveness.
“SEQUENOM’s MassARRAY technology will be extremely useful in our search for cancer susceptibility genes,” said Professor Rob Sutherland, Director of the Cancer Research Program at Garvan Institute. “The MassARRAY system offers a level of flexibility and accuracy for nucleic acid and expression analysis that enables the identification of patients with a predisposition to a variety of cancers, including prostate, colorectal, breast and ovarian.”
“SEQUENOM is renowned for its superior genotyping capabilities,” said Toni Schuh, Ph.D., SEQUENOM’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “However, only recently have our strengths in the field of quantitative gene expression been recognized, and we are excited that researchers at the Garvan Institute have chosen our technology based on its superior accuracy and range of applications for their diagnostic research.”
In the United States alone, cancer costs totaled more than $189 billion in 2003, and this year, over 560,000 people are expected to die of cancer with approximately 1.4 million new cases diagnosed. Many of these deaths would likely be prevented through early diagnosis and changes in lifestyle. SEQUENOM’s MassARRAY technology is not only able to identify genetic markers that may be related to cancer susceptibility, it is also able to perform genetic trace analysis, or the analysis of diagnostically significant DNA and RNA molecules in the presence of large amounts of background contamination, which may enable early cancer detection. With the discovery of new disease markers and the creation of early screening technologies, the number of cancer-related deaths may be significantly reduced.
About SEQUENOM
SEQUENOM is a genetics company dedicated to the sales and support of the Company’s MassARRAY platform and to the continued expansion of DNA analysis applications for use with this system. The Company has created high-performance DNA analysis technology that efficiently and precisely measures genetic variation. SEQUENOM has used MassARRAY technology and the Company’s extensive collections of DNA samples from diseased and healthy individuals to identify disease-related genes that affect the health of significant portions of the population. Based on its discoveries, the Company develops diagnostic content, as well as out-licenses candidate target genes for diagnostic and therapeutic product development. www.sequenom.com
SEQUENOM(R) and MassARRAY(R) are trademarks of SEQUENOM, Inc.
