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Biotech / Medical : Biotech Lock-Up Expiration Hell Portfolio -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tuck who wrote (447)	10/9/2001 9:34:08 AM
From: tuck	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1005

>>MADISON, Wis., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Third Wave Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: TWTI - news) today announced the launch of its first series of Invader® RNA Assay products, the most simple, accurate and direct method for measuring gene expression levels. Third Wave's Invader® RNA Assay products can accurately identify and quantify even low levels of unique mRNAs directly from total RNA or crude cell samples called cell lysates, eliminating several costly, time-consuming steps required by other products and minimizing the risk of sample contamination that accompanies them. A total of 30 Invader® RNA Assay products are included in this initial launch, all of which measure the expression levels of genes with proven clinical relevance. The series includes research assays for quantitating the expression of many cytochrome P450 genes, which regulate drug metabolism, and of a number of key cytokine genes, which are involved in a variety of cell activities, including the regulation of inflammatory and immune responses. Easy, accurate measurement of medically important genes like those included in the series launched today by Third Wave is critical to understanding many common diseases, their progression and how to treat them successfully. The advanced characteristics and breakthroughs integrated into the Invader® RNA Assay products will allow the acceleration of research to understand disease and develop new drugs. ``Third Wave's Invader® RNA Assay products are a major advance in RNA detection products, providing the ability to measure gene expression levels easily and directly, without complicated procedures that can contaminate the sample,'' said Lance Fors, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Third Wave. ``Invader® RNA Assays are a simple, but powerful combination of accuracy, sensitivity and speed to results with ease of use and flexibility across any number of existing instrumentation platforms. Third Wave's Invader® RNA Assay products are ideal for the high-throughput gene expression monitoring needed for genome research and drug development.'' Invader(R) RNA Assay Product Breakthroughs * Direct Detection. Invader(R) RNA Assay products enable direct quantitation of total RNA or cell lysate samples. Most other RNA analysis tests require RNA purification, often in combination with time-consuming and expensive multi-step preparation of the RNA sample before it can be tested. A sample preparation method known as RT-PCR is among the most commonly used. It includes RNA purification, transcription of the RNA to its DNA complement and creation of additional copies of the DNA prior to detection. RT-PCR methods are inherently less accurate than direct RNA detection and test results generated from RT-PCR can be skewed by sample contamination. * Biplex Format. Invader(R) RNA Assay products are available in a biplex format, enabling the simultaneous detection of two different RNA targets in a single well in the test plate. The ability to detect and quantify mRNA from both the gene of interest and a housekeeping gene permits the normalization of data to account for both user errors and variation between samples, saving the user time, money and sample. * Accuracy and Precision. Invader(R) RNA Assay products can detect changes in gene expression levels as small as 1.2-fold or 20 percent, allowing researchers to routinely and precisely quantify very small but important changes in the expression of biologically, pharmacologically and medically significant genes. * Analytical Sensitivity. While Invader(R) RNA Assay products can routinely detect as few as 6,000 copies of RNA, a level sufficient for monitoring gene expression, an analytical sensitivity of fewer than 100 copies can be achieved. * Analytical Specificity. Invader(R) RNA Assay products not only clearly distinguish between sequences that are more than 95 percent identical, they can detect the equivalent of a single target sequence in a pool of at least 20,000 sequences of closely related RNA. Many gene families, like the cytochrome P450 drug-metabolizing enzyme family, generate nearly identical RNA sequences that produce proteins with different functions and effects on the body. The Invader(R) RNA Assay's ability to discriminate between nearly identical RNA sequences allows researchers to identify a specific RNA target with consistency, accuracy and precision.<< snip Cheers, Tuck