Nigel,
More exciting news. Also acquiring Lifecodes, the leader in forensic genetic testing.
The price was up today for some reason, this news is a couple of days old. Up 1.20
ORCHID AND HITACHI SOFTWARE'S MIRAIBIO ANNOUNCE GLOBAL MARKETING AGREEMENT FOR SNPSTREAM® MT
PRINCETON, N.J. and ALAMEDA, CA., Oct. 8, 2001 - Orchid BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORCH) and MiraiBio, Inc. (formerly the Genetic Systems Division of Hitachi Software Engineering America, Ltd.), a subsidiary of Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd., today announced that they have entered into a multi-year marketing agreement for Orchid’s SNPstream® MT product. Under the terms of the agreement, MiraiBio has non-exclusive worldwide rights to market the genotyping consumables and software developed by Orchid for its SNPstream MT system, based on the Luminex 100™ platform. Orchid has retained rights to distribute the complete SNPstream MT system and to form additional marketing agreements. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Orchid is delighted to market its SNPstream MT genotyping product in partnership with MiraiBio, formerly the Genetic Systems Division of Hitachi Software Engineering America, Ltd. and a leading provider of products and technologies with well-established distribution channels in the life sciences marketplace," said Jack T. Ball, Jr., senior vice president and general manager of Orchid’s Life Sciences Group. "As an experienced distributor of the popular Luminex 100 system, we look forward to MiraiBio selling our SNPstream MT accessory and reagent kits to both new and existing users of this innovative and versatile platform."
SNPstream MT provides researchers with the capability to generate thousands of SNP genotypes per day. Current owners of Luminex 100 systems can purchase an Accessory Kit developed by Orchid containing SNP scoring software that enables users to conduct genotyping studies with Orchid’s SNPware™ reagent kits. SNPstream MT applications include SNP confirmation, correlation and association studies, as well as the analysis of SNP panels and specific SNPs of interest.
"Orchid's SNPstream MT complements our existing broad line of product offerings for the research market," said Leonard Klevan, president of MiraiBio. "We look forward to making the Luminex 100 platform and SNPstream MT reagent kits and software available to the thousands of scientists worldwide who want a complete solution for medium throughput SNP scoring enabling them to perform high quality genotyping using an accessible platform. Our success to date marketing the Luminex 100 system makes us an ideal marketing partner for Orchid."
Developed for medium throughput SNP genotyping applications, the complete SNPstream MT system includes Luminex 100 instrumentation, SNPware 96B kits and Plate Navigator™ and SNPexplorer™ software. SNPstream MT performs multiplexed SNP analyses using SNP-IT™, Orchid’s proprietary single base primer extension technology, in a bead-based fluorescent assay.
The MT system can perform one to 10-plex reactions and has a throughput range of 400 to 4,000 genotypes per day. It provides greater than 99% accuracy in concordance studies. SNPstream MT uses two-color laser-based flow analysis and is 96-well plate-based. SNPstream MT provides instrument control software and Orchid’s SNPexplorer automated allele calling software. SNPstream MT customers will also have free access to Orchid’s web-based primer design tool, Autoprimer.com.
For more information on accessing the SNPstream MT platform through MiraiBio, please contact Don Fourby of MiraiBio at (510) 337-2038, or Craig Dobbs of Orchid at (609) 750-2200 or by e-mail at sales@orchid.com.
MiraiBio, Inc. (formerly the Genetic Systems Division of Hitachi Software Engineering America, Ltd.), was spun off as a subsidiary of Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. dedicated to serving the life sciences market. MiraiBio delivers proven solutions for life science research in fields such as genomics, drug discovery, and forensics. The company offers products for bioimaging, microarrays, bioinformatics, and spectroscopy. Bioimaging products include fluorescence and CCD-based imaging systems. Microarray systems include an automated spotter, and data management software. Next-generation spectroscopy instruments for DNA/RNA/protein measurements with full UV/Visible scans expands the product line. A preview of the company and its products can be obtained on the Internet at miraibio.com.
Orchid BioSciences, Inc. is a leading provider of products, services and technologies for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scoring and genetic diversity analyses. Orchid has developed SNP-IT, its proprietary SNP analysis technology, and markets SNPstream instruments and SNPware consumables that rapidly generate highly accurate, cost-effective SNP information. SNP-IT is usable in environments ranging from small-scale laboratories to large commercial facilities. The versatility of SNP-IT is enabling Orchid to partner with industry leaders to make SNP-IT-enabled products available on a wide variety of instrument platforms as part of Orchid's Platform Propagation™ strategy. Orchid also provides high throughput SNP scoring services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural and academic customers through its MegaSNPatron™ facilities, and identity genomics testing for forensics and paternity, as well as clinical quality genotyping, through its GeneScreen and Cellmark facilities. Orchid also provides content-rich SNP databases and SNP panels to its customers and collaborators. Through its GeneShield and Pharmaceutical Value Creation business, Orchid seeks to identify and commercialize medical applications of SNPs. More information on Orchid can be found at its web site www.orchid.com. |
