Early Drug Discovery Expected to Improve with First-of-its-Kind Mass Spectrometry Platform from Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX.FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- Applied Biosystems Applied Biosystems, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: ABIO) is the original name of a pioneer biotechnology company founded in 1981 in Foster City, California, among the Silicon Valley cities of the southern San Francisco Bay Area. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : ABI Abi (ā`bī) [short for Abijah], in the Bible, King Hezekiah's mother. (Application Binary Interface) A specification for a specific hardware platform combined with the operating system. ), an Applera Corporation business, and its joint venture partner, Sciex, a division of MDS MDS, n See temporomandibular pain-dysfunction syndrome. MDS 1 Maternal deprivation syndrome, see there 2 Myelodysplastic syndrome, see there Inc.'s Analytical Technologies business, (NYSE:MDZ MDZ Mendez MDZ Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung (Moscow German newspaper) MDZ Maritime Defense Zone MDZ Musik Der Zukunft (music label & community) MDZ Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina - El Plumerillo , TSX TSX Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE before April, 2002) TSX Transfer from Stack Pointer to Index TSX True Space Extension :MDS), today announced plans to commercialize a first-of-its-kind mass spectrometry mass spectrometry or mass spectroscopy Analytic technique by which chemical substances are identified by sorting gaseous ions by mass using electric and magnetic fields. platform designed to help pharmaceutical companies accelerate the drug compound screening process. The FlashQuant(TM) platform is expected to be the first commercially available system to combine industry-standard triple quadrupole A quadrupole is one of a sequence of configurations of electric charge or gravitational mass that can exist in ideal form, but it is usually just part of a multipole expansion of a more complex structure reflecting various orders of complexity. mass spectrometry with widely-used MALDI MALDI Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization technology. The expected result is an unparalleled level of speed in the process of drug compound screening. Laboratory tests conducted by Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX with the new platform have consistently delivered a 25-fold increase in speed for small molecule quantitation, compared with the fastest liquid chromatography-coupled triple quadrupole mass spectrometers currently in the market. The FlashQuant platform is being developed to help pharmaceutical companies improve the process of conducting research in the early stages of drug discovery. With drug development cost estimates exceeding $1 billion per drug and an increasing failure rate for lead drug candidates in the development process, the pharmaceutical industry is keenly focused on ways to improve output and efficiency. Some estimates have put the out-of-pocket price tag at $37,000 per day for each day a compound remains in development.1 The new platform from Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX is expected to enable scientists to generate the same volume of research data in a fraction of the time currently required by other methods, reducing a process that can typically take a day or more to complete to less than one hour. Early users of the platform predict that this ability to generate faster results may enable more efficiency and productivity in pharmaceutical research. "Pharmaceutical scientists are looking to deliver quality information faster and with more consistent results," said Laura Lauman, president for Applied Biosystems' proteomics and small molecules division. "We believe that the FlashQuant system is a breakthrough platform that will improve early drug discovery by increasing the speed and the number of compounds that can be profiled. This could potentially result in more efficiency and greater ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). in the drug development process, by enabling important development decisions to be made earlier and with more reliability." Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Instruments has created this industry-first technology in drug molecule quantitation by bringing together two technologies with which it has industry-leading expertise: MALDI and triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. MALDI is a method for converting samples into the charged particles, or ions, required for analysis by mass spectrometry. Among its attributes are both high capacity and high throughput capability. Triple-quadrupoles are a type of mass spectrometer spectrometer Device for detecting and analyzing wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, commonly used for molecular spectroscopy; more broadly, any of various instruments in which an emission (as of electromagnetic radiation or particles) is spread out according to some used in life sciences research to measure minute quantities of compounds. Because of their high sensitivity and specificity, they are the standard method used for the analysis of small molecules including drug compounds and their metabolites Metabolites Substances produced by metabolism or by a metabolic process. Mentioned in: Interactions . One of the initial applications expected for the FlashQuant platform is early absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME ADME Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion ADME Association of Destination Management Executives ADME Active Duty Medical Extension ) profiling in pharmaceutical discovery laboratories. ADME profiling is a key step in the screening of candidate compounds, whereby the characteristics of a compound are evaluated for suitability as a drug. By increasing the speed with which ADME profiling can be executed and by enabling the screening of far more samples within a given time, ADME labs are expected to be able to present to their organizations a greater number of compound alternatives to evaluate in the drug development process. The new system is expected to be suitable for high throughput ADME laboratories ranging in size from small to large. An ADME scientist who has worked with the new technology is Mark Cole Mark Cole is a multi-instrumentalist blues and roots musician based in Gloucester, UK Music Mark primarily writes and performs blues music but also writes and performs music influenced by other American roots music genres such as americana, cajun, zydeco, bluegrass and , Ph.D., a Research Fellow at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in Groton, Connecticut
"This is a disruptive technology A new technology that has a serious impact on the status quo and changes the way people have been dealing with something, perhaps for decades. Music CDs all but wiped out the phonograph industry within a few years, and digital cameras are destined to eliminate the film industry. that will make us rethink how we do things," said Dr. Cole. "The tremendous increase in speed unlocks a lot of potential for our lab, allowing us to consider running experiments that we don't have the capacity for now. With this throughput, we could essentially 'front-load' discovery, which increases the chances of ultimately getting a compound to market." Drawing on 20 years of experience in developing innovative mass spectrometry tools for life science research, Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX developed a patented method for high-throughput quantitation of small molecules using MALDI and multiple-reaction-monitoring on a triple quadrupole mass analyzer. This included the design of an interface that enables efficient transmission of ions with the robustness to run hundreds of thousands of samples while providing the level of sensitivity required for ADME applications. Because MALDI sample preparation can be automated and decoupled from the mass spectrometry step and samples are read in parallel in a plate format, the FlashQuant platform is designed to allow scientists to take full advantage of the speed of mass spectrometry. "Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Instruments' history of working with pharmaceutical companies continues to shape our deep understanding of the tools needed to advance drug development," said Andy Boorn, president for MDS Analytical Technologies. "We believe that with mass spectrometry innovations such as FlashQuant, we will continue to drive new capabilities for pharmaceutical discovery." The FlashQuant platform is expected to be available for shipment in late summer, 2007. For more information, please visit http://info.appliedbiosystems.com/flash About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids Nucleic acids The cellular molecules DNA and RNA that act as coded instructions for the production of proteins and are copied for transmission of inherited traits. (DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. and RNA RNA: see nucleic acid. RNA in full ribonucleic acid One of the two main types of nucleic acid (the other being DNA), which functions in cellular protein synthesis in all living cells and replaces DNA as the carrier of genetic ), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing paternity testing see parentage testing. ); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism Noun 1. biological terrorism - terrorism using the weapons of biological warfare bioterrorism act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of over $1.9 billion during fiscal 2006. The Celera Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers. Celera maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is a diversified pharmaceuticals and health care company. It has over 65,000 employees and operates in 130 countries. The corporate headquarters are in Abbott Park, Illinois, a neighborhood of North Chicago, Illinois. for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets through strategic partnerships. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/. About MDS Inc. MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 6,200 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day. About Sciex Sciex is a division of MDS Analytical Technologies. The Sciex product portfolio offers proven market leadership in mass spectrometry through its joint ventures with two of the world's leading analytical instrumentation and life sciences companies, Applied Biosystems, a business of the Applera Corporation and PerkinElmer Inc. Find out more at www.mdssciex.com Applied Biosystems Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "should, "planned," and "expect," among others. These forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. are based on Applera Corporation's current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995 provides a "safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. " for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Applera Corporation notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to: (1) rapidly changing technology and customer acceptance of the new platform; (2) the risk of unanticipated difficulties associated with the completion of development and commercialization of the new platform, including unanticipated technical complexities and delays in the development of the necessary manufacturing capabilities; (3) sales dependent on customers' capital spending capital spending Spending for long-term assets such as factories, equipment, machinery, and buildings that permits the production of more goods and services in future years. policies; and (4) other factors that might be described from time to time in Applera Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Applera does not undertake any duty to update this information, including any forward-looking statements, unless required by law. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Applera, Applied Biosystems, and AB (Design) are registered trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. FlashQuant is a trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc. 1 2003 Bain & Co. Report and 2006 Tufts Centre for the Study of Drug Development as reported by Wall Street Journal and Eye on Pharma Copyright[c] 2007. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved |
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