Illumina Announces Breakthrough Pricing for Whole-Genome
2004-05-18 16:25 (New York)
Expression Arrays; New BeadChips Redefine Experimental Scale
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2004
Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) today released pricing for
two recently announced Sentrix(R) BeadChips that will enable
large-scale gene expression experiments for as low as $100 per array.
The Company also provided details on a new sample evaluation and early
buyer program that will introduce researchers to the power and quality
of these products.
The Sentrix Human WG-6 BeadChip, with probes to query
approximately 48,000 transcripts per sample, will be priced at $160
for each of the six samples, or $960 per BeadChip. The Sentrix Human
RS-8 will contain probe sequences to query eight samples, each for
24,000 transcripts derived from the consensus RefSeq database. The
RefSeq microarray will be priced at $100 per sample.
The Sentrix Human WG-6 BeadChip will contain over ten million
beads, or features, leveraging the extremely dense geometries of
Illumina's BeadArray(TM) technology. Each of the 48,000 bead types is
represented on average more than thirty times per array, providing a
new level of intrinsic feature redundancy and data quality for the
microarray market. Beads are spaced six microns apart from center to
center, representing nearly four times the density of any other
commercial microarray technology. Higher density leads to
significantly smaller array footprints and, as a result, substantial
reductions in sample volumes and costs for customers. The optimal
probes for each gene are identified using Illumina's bioinformatic
design algorithms followed by functional screening. In addition, the
probes incorporate data from the latest release of RefSeq (March
2004), ensuring that customers are using arrays based on the most
current genome information available. The new BeadChips are scanned on
the same BeadArray Reader that is used for the Company's SNP
genotyping arrays.
Special pricing is available as part of an early buyer program
(http://www.illumina.com/whole_genome_purchase.asp), the terms of
which provide significant incentives for researchers and organizations
who want to have priority access to Illumina's whole-genome Sentrix
BeadChips and related systems. The Company has identified and begun
working with beta sites with full product availability expected in
mid-2004.
"Pricing for our new whole-genome gene expression solutions will
enable life scientists to expand their experimental scale to
unprecedented levels within existing budget and project constraints,
while achieving high levels of array performance, reproducibility and
statistical confidence," stated Jay Flatley, Illumina President and
CEO. "We will continue to deliver high value to the expression
marketplace in the same way that we have in the SNP genotyping and DNA
synthesis markets."
"The '$100-array' for large-scale expression profiling has been
viewed by many as the critical breakthrough price for commercial
arrays. We are extremely pleased to be the first to reach this
industry milestone with our 24K RefSeq BeadChip," added Todd
Dickinson, Illumina's Gene Expression Market Manager. "These new
BeadChips offer a compelling, cost-effective alternative for those
scientists who spot arrays on a daily basis, freeing them to focus on
biology rather than array manufacturing."
Sentrix whole-genome expression arrays are a further example of
Illumina's strategy to build a comprehensive offering of scalable,
multi-application systems. At the foundation of our systems are the
Sentrix Array Matrix, the Sentrix BeadChip, the BeadArray Reader and
our Oligator(R) DNA synthesis capability. The BeadStation system
addresses moderate-throughput requirements and complements Illumina's
production-scale BeadLab. Both systems can be scaled in multiple
dimensions, providing customers the flexibility to perform SNP
genotyping or gene expression experiments on the same platform, with
content ranging from whole genomes to focused sets, at various levels
of throughput and automation.
Illumina (www.illumina.com) is developing next-generation tools
that permit large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function.
The Company's proprietary BeadArray technology -- now used in leading
genomics centers around the world -- provides the throughput, cost
effectiveness and flexibility to enable researchers in the life
sciences and pharmaceutical industries to analyze the billions of data
points necessary to extract valuable information that will help pave
the way to personalized medicine. |
