One to consider:
The Intel of biochips?
Affymetrix will stand its ultimate test in the biotech market. It's no secret that the biotech boom has left a moraine of false
promises and failed products in its wake. Many one-product start-ups face heightened skepticism about hype and vaporware.
Affymetrix is no exception. John Patton, a scientist formerly with Genentech, now vice president of research for Inhale
Therapeutic Systems in Palo Alto, is a veteran of the industry. By no means dismissive of Affymetrix's claims, Patton has
nevertheless "become sober about company executives touting sexy new biostuff. Unless Affymetrix can show some patient
results, it's still just an idea, and may not work at all."
But the potential commercial market is huge. "In five years, we'll know technically if we can compress the front-end biology
stuff, miniaturizing the lab steps into an automated, hand-held device," says Dave Singer, vice chair of Affymetrix. "In 10 years,
we'll see the impact of the basic, non-automated GeneChip on the market." The potential profits that could be generated by
this Intel of the biochip world makes Affymetrix, Singer claims, "hellbent on getting this technology to market ASAP."
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