Beckman Coulter Signs Agreement With Althea Technologies For Gene Expression Technology
Beckman Coulter plans to integrate eXpress Profiling into its GenomeLab suite of genetic analysis solutions to speed drug discovery.
FULLERTON, Calif. – (June 3, 2004) – Beckman Coulter, Inc. (NYSE:BEC) today announced it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Althea Technologies, Inc. for Althea’s proprietary eXpress Profiling™ technology. Beckman Coulter plans to integrate eXpress Profiling into its GenomeLab suite of genetic analysis solutions to speed drug discovery.
“Our collaboration with Althea provides a development path for our expansion into an underserved portion of the gene expression marketplace. Over the next five years, this opportunity could be worth close to $100 million,” said Elias Caro, president of Beckman Coulter’s Biomedical Research Division. “By combining the eXpress Profiling technology with our GenomeLab solutions, we believe we can significantly impact target validation and compound characterization, accelerating the rate of drug discovery.”
In drug discovery, drug development and molecular diagnostic workflows, there exists a growing gap between the wealth of genomic information and its translation into new drugs. Microarrays are useful tools for screening large numbers of genes but with minimal sample throughput. Real-time PCR is capable of quantitating only a few genes over thousands of samples. Althea’s eXpress Profiling technology fills the technological gap with the throughput capacity to monitor tens to hundreds of genes over tens of thousands of samples.
“We see strong synergies between our eXpress Profiling design and analysis services and Beckman Coulter’s GenomeLab,” said François Ferré, co-president and co-chief executive officer of Althea. “Through our exclusive agreement, researchers in genetic, cancer or medical research institutions will have access to a high speed, highly sensitive approach to tracking disease-relevant gene targets and pathways. Together we can provide a gene expression solution for researchers from the bench to the clinic.”
Althea Technologies, Inc., based in San Diego, California, is focused on reducing the time, risk, and overall cost of drug development efforts. Althea applies immediate resources, unsurpassed scientific expertise, and a vast knowledge of regulatory affairs to facilitate the progression from drug discovery to clinical approval. Althea was founded in 1998 with the purpose of accelerating drug development by providing reliable, high quality services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.
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About Althea Technologies, Inc.
Althea’s current standard and GLP-compliant services include high-throughput gene expression analysis using the eXpress Profiling technology and custom real-time Q-PCR assay development and analysis services. Althea also offers cGMP protein and plasmid DNA production services, and aseptic vial and syringe filling of clinical products. Its new laboratory and manufacturing facility was designed to maximize regulatory compliance and environmental quality. For more information, visit www.altheatech.com.
About Beckman Coulter, Inc
Beckman Coulter, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of biomedical testing instrument systems, tests and supplies that simplify and automate laboratory processes. Spanning the biomedical testing continuum – from systems biology and clinical research to laboratory diagnostics and point-of-care testing – Beckman Coulter’s 200,000 installed systems provide essential biomedical information to enhance health care around the world. The company, based in Fullerton, Calif., reported 2003 annual sales of $2.2 billion with 64 percent of this amount generated by recurring revenue from supplies, test kits and services. For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com.
Contacts:
Jeanie Herbert
Investor Relations
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
714- 773-7620
Anne M. Warde
Corporate Communications
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
714- 773-7655
Alan Moore
Executive Vice President & Chief Business Officer
Althea Technologies, Inc.
(858) 882-0205
amoore@altheatech.com