New Affymetrix Arrays with 100,000 SNPs Available for Early Technology Access Customers
April 05 2004 - 4:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
New Affymetrix Arrays with 100,000 SNPs Available for Early
Technology Access Customers First in a Family of Arrays That Will
Enable Genome-Wide Association Studies SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 5
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affymetrix, Inc., today announced that
its new GeneChip(R) Mapping 100K Array Set is now broadly available
through an early technology access program. This two-microarray set
can genotype over 100,000 SNPs and is the first in a family of
products that will enable scientists to begin large-scale
whole-genome association studies, which up to now have been
unaffordable or impractical. (For an interactive version of this
press release with additional information, please go to
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=AFFX&script=400
and click on the release title) The 100K, which Affymetrix plans to
formally launch this summer, is already being used in high-density
genome scans and genome-wide association studies of the genetics of
complex diseases and drug response. Twelve customers, including
leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and leading
academic researchers, have started experiments under the initial
phase of the program, which is now expanding. "We were amazed at
how quickly we could generate highly accurate genotype calls," said
Dr. Peter Nurnberg, Head of the Gene Mapping Center at the Max
Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin-Buch and
coordinator of the National Genotyping Platform of Germany. "The
100K is a significant step to allow whole genome association
studies. We anticipate the 100K will have a significant impact on
our research in the field of complex diseases and beyond." In a
pharmacogenomic study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute, researchers at the Mayo Clinic are using the 100K to
investigate the genetic basis for differential responses to
antihypertensive drugs in different patients and populations. By
taking a whole-genome association approach to these studies, these
scientists hope to identify the unknown genes influencing
drug-response and to ultimately enable more effective tailoring of
antihypertensive therapy in individual patients. The 100K is the
newest member of the Affymetrix DNA analysis product line, which
includes comparative sequencing, custom genotyping, and whole
genome SNP microarrays. The 100K uses the same GeneChip technology
that revolutionized mRNA gene expression analysis, enabling
researchers to understand both the function and variation of whole
genomes on a single, integrated platform. The 100K builds on the
innovative, scalable, easy to use assay that Affymetrix pioneered
with the GeneChip Mapping 10K Array. The 100K allows researchers to
genotype over 100,000 SNPs using just two reactions. Previously,
genotyping 100,000 SNPs would have required 100,000 PCR reactions,
a hurdle that made this kind of research impractical. Before the
advent of 100K, the commercial product for genotyping the most SNPs
was Affymetrix' Mapping 10K. "The power of 100,000 SNPs in a single
experiment is enabling researchers to attempt unprecedented genetic
studies at a genome-wide scale," said Greg Yap, Sr. Marketing
Director, DNA Analysis. "The GeneChip Mapping 100K Set is the first
in a family of products that will enable scientists to identify
genes associated with disease or drug response across the whole
genome instead of just studying previously known SNPs or genes, and
to study complex real-world populations instead of simple ones. To
do this, we are making large-scale SNP genotyping not only quick
and easy, but also affordable -- about 1 cent per SNP." About half
of the SNPs on the 100K set are from public databases, while the
other half are from the SNP database discovered by
PerlegenSciences, Inc. All of the SNPs on the 100K set are freely
available and have been released into the public domain. Because
the assays and arrays used in the 100K set are extremely scalable,
more SNPs from both public sources and the Perlegen database will
be added to next generation arrays. About Affymetrix: Affymetrix is
a pioneer in creating breakthrough tools that are driving the
genomic revolution. By applying the principles of semiconductor
technology to the life sciences, Affymetrix develops and
commercializes systems that enable scientists to improve the
quality of life. The Company's customers include pharmaceutical,
biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostics and consumer products
companies as well as academic, government and other non-profit
research institutes. Affymetrix offers an expanding portfolio of
integrated products and services, including its integrated GeneChip
brand platform, to address growing markets focused on understanding
the relationship between genes and human health. Additional
information on Affymetrix can be found at
http://www.affymetrix.com/. All statements in this press release
that are not historical are "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended,
including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations,"
"beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies" or the like. Such
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those
projected, including, but not limited to risks of the Company's
ability to achieve and sustain higher levels of revenue, higher
gross margins, reduced operating expenses, uncertainties relating
to technological approaches, manufacturing, product development,
market acceptance (including uncertainties relating to product
development and market acceptance of the GeneChip(R) 100K Mapping
Array set), personnel retention, uncertainties related to cost and
pricing of Affymetrix products, dependence on collaborative
partners, uncertainties relating to sole source suppliers,
uncertainties relating to FDA and other regulatory approvals,
competition, risks relating to intellectual property of others and
the uncertainties of patent protection and litigation. These and
other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2003 and other SEC reports, including its
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for subsequent quarterly periods.
Affymetrix expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward- looking
statements contained herein to reflect any change in Affymetrix'
expectations with regard thereto or any change in events,
conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements are
based. NOTE: Affymetrix, the Affymetrix logo, and GeneChip are
registered trademarks owned or used by Affymetrix, Inc. DATASOURCE:
Affymetrix, Inc. CONTACT: media, Wes Conard, Associate Director,
Public Relations, +1-408-731-5791, or investors, Doug Farrell, Vice
President, Investor Relations, +1-408-731-5285, both of Affymetrix,
Inc. Web site: http://www.affymetrix.com/
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