Bio Screening Industry News

Nanion Technologies GmbH, a supplier of automated, parallel patch-clamp systems based in Munich, Germany, today announced that they would appeal the decision of the European Patent Office (EPO) to uphold the disputed Molecular Devices patent EP 1,040,349.

The appeal is merely a precaution against problems with future developments in the field and it should be realized that the disputed patent has no relevance for Nanion’s currently marketed products such as the Port-a-Patch or the Patchliner. Rather, the disputed patent seeks protection for a well-known physical effect that theoretically can be used to exert electrical force on cells or vesicles.

“All currently marketed planar patch-clamp devices use suction to move cells, not electrical force, which so far has proved unreliable. However, all of them, and many other devices published long before MDC’s patent can produce such electrical forces if enough voltage is applied.” explains Nanion’s CEO Niels Fertig. Jan Behrends, cofounder and chairman of the board concurs: “In its provisional opinion, the Opposition Division at EPO in Munich, seemed to have understood this point very clearly. We were very surprised that during oral proceedings they moved away from their original opinion, but we’re confident that the Board of Appeal, who will really make the final judgement, will reverse that decision.”

The disputed patent was originally filed by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland and then taken over by Cytion SA, a start-up company acquired by Molecular Devices in 2001 and shut down shortly after.

Andrea Brüggemann, CSO at Nanion, comments: “Our customers should know that this patent dispute in no way concerns our present planar patch technology, nor indeed those marketed by Molecular Devices. The recent decision, which is open to appeal, is, therefore, not a concern for our core business.”

In both academic and industrial settings, Nanion’s Port-a-Patch enjoys great popularity as the world’s smallest patch clamp device. Furthermore, the Patchliner, Nanion’s higher throughput patch-clamp robot, has seen a very successful market entry in 2006. Both in 2005 and 2006 Nanion’s products received top ratings in customer surveys run by HTStec.

Nanion Technologies GmbH is a German Private Limited Company and was founded in 2002 as a spin off from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany.

www.nanion.de

Unique opportunity for international press to interact directly with world’s hottest biotech firms

San Diego, CA, and Munich, Germany, February 7, 2007:  On Monday, March 5, the first-ever BIO-Europe Spring will open its doors at the Milano Convention Center (MIC) in Italy. The three day conference (March 5-7) promises to be exciting  as deal- and decision makers from across the globe meet at the pre-eminent springtime partnering conference for the biotechnology industry. 

Like its conference counterpart, BIO-Europe, which is held in the Autumn, BIO-Europe Spring will be an important focal point for companies seeking to identify new business opportunities and strike deals to drive future business. The conference, organized by EBD Group, will feature many notable industry leaders such as Rob Wills, VP of Alliance Management at Johnson & Johnson; Judith Hills, VP of Corporate and Business Development for Licensing, Europe, Japan & Asia Pacific, at Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Roger Longman, Managing Partner of Windhover Information.  These and other speakers will cover a wide range of trends, issues and technologies that are shaping the industry’s future

The conference will also feature a proprietary online partnering system through which participants can set up individual meetings with potential partners—thus providing an unbeatable opportunity for direct engagement between individuals from all parts the biotechnology value chain.

EBD Group, the organizer of the BIO-Europe Spring and BIO-Europe partnering conferences, expects more than 1,000 attendees to attend the conference—which should become one of the world’s premier international partnering events for biotechnology and the life sciences. Since 1993, EBD Group’s conferences have provided annual partnering fora for networking, sharing research and innovations and striking deals. Today, the BIO-Europe conferences are the largest and most comprehensive international life science partnering events in the world. 

Highlights of the BIO-Europe Spring conference sessions include:

•     Rethinking the Biotech-Pharma Partnering Model: Will the whole ever be worth more than the sum of its parts?

•     Next Generation Companies: With increasing competition for late-stage assets, pharmaceutical companies are taking a greater interest in earlier stage biotech companies.  In keeping with this trend, some of the most exciting early-stage players of the biotech industry will make their pitches to the conference’s elite audience.

•     Pink Biotech, The Convergence of White and Red Biotech: New enabling technologies are transforming the industry and cost-advantages linked to disruptive technologies are already a reality. BIO-Europe Spring will explore how the convergence of White and Red biotech will play a key role in helping both early and late-stage companies overcome industry challenges.

•     Future of Mid-sized Pharma: Globalization is profoundly affecting the biotechnology industry– and especially mid-sized pharma companies. This session explores the unique opportunities and challenges confronting mid-sized firms and discusses optimal ways to navigate the globalization trend. 

Partnering System Goes Live:

The web-based conference partnering system is now live and registered attendees can access it at www.ebdgroup.com/bioeuropespring/partnering.htm . As at all EBD Group conferences, BIO-Europe Spring leverages the organizer’s proprietary state-of-the-art web-based partnering software platform. The partnering system enables all participants to quickly query a comprehensive database in order to identify and engage with many potential partners during the conference. The partnering system also allows journalists to arrange meetings and interviews in advance of the conference. Two-hundred booths will be available for one-on-one meetings.  In addition, a quiet interview room in the BIO-Europe Europe press office can be booked on site. Delegates’ meeting schedules will be made available on personal log-in pages on the BIO-Europe Spring website in the days prior to the conference.

Notes to Editors:

The conference’s press office will actively disseminate evolving news, stories, and conference themes to journalists. Entry to BIO-Europe Spring is free to the media, as is full access to the partnering system, sessions, press conferences, workshops, and pre-arranged partnering meetings. Attending journalists will also receive a complimentary delegate pack, including the complete conference handbook. Visit the BIO-Europe Spring conference website at http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/registration.htm for detailed information on this year’s conference and online registration. When you register online, please write into the comment field within the registration form that you are requesting a complimentary press registration. Please fax a copy of your press pass to complete your complimentary media registration to fax number +49 (89) 23 88 756 - 55.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global biotechnology industry. Since 1993, firms in the life sciences have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships that drive their business.

EBD Group’s conferences (run in collaboration with leading industry partners and international trade associations such as BIO and Eucomed) include BIO-Europe, the world’s largest stand-alone life science partnering conference; BIO-Europe Spring; the investor conference, BioEquity Europe (co-organized with BioCentury Publications); and the convergent medical technology partnering conference, BioDevice Partnering.  EBD’s novel, web-based, partnering software system is also used at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants can provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in San Diego, Munich and London. For more information visit www.ebdgroup.com

The key automation solution-provider HAMILTON broadens his product portfolio and strengthens his position as market leader in laboratory automation by this acquisition.

High-tech for Cooling and Storage in research laboratories

The Boston, MA based Company TekCel designs and manufactures specialised Cooling- and Storage systems for research labs in the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry.

Sample logistics often is the key challenge in automation projects:

Both Companies are leading in the automation technology for laboratories. The innovative technology of TekCel ideally integrates with our Liquid Handling workstations, explains CEO Andreas Wieland, who also sees a major growth potential in the area of automated cooling systems.

By integrating TekCel systems in the product portfolio, HAMILTON emphasizes the strategic positioning as solution-provider for automation projects.

To learn more about how your project can benefit from this new alliance please contact:

For Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and Scandinavia:+49-89-5526490
for France : +33-1-69751616
for United Kingdom : +44-121-2600301
for Italy : +39-02-29533722

Tecan and VWR International, Inc., have announced a strategic alliance to unite the strengths of each company and together provide Tecan's cutting edge microarray instruments and microplate readers to the global research market. The collaboration takes advantage of VWR's BioSciences program, which aims to provide researchers with the highest quality services and products available, whatever their application, and a comprehensive sales network - including more than 120 sales representatives worldwide and 15 BioSciences managers in Europe alone. Tecan's range of technically excellent microarray products and microplate readers offer perfect solutions for customers of the BioSciences program working in all areas of drug discovery and life science.

Siegfried Sasshofer, Head of Marketing for Tecan's Detection business unit, said, "Tecan's products and technical expertise complement the VWR's BioSciences program very well, and together we can build on our respective strengths in high end instrumentation and well-developed customer relationships. The close collaboration of both teams will benefit research communities in the US and in Europe, helping them to find the best solutions and allowing them to excel in their respective fields."

Matt Malenfant Senior VP and President Global Lab Business commented, "The BioSciences program is an investment by VWR to extend our offering of research instruments for our customers' drug discovery and development needs. Establishing a partnership with Tecan accomplishes this, offering an industry leader in laboratory automation and detection instrumentation to our broad reach of customers. Our mutual commitment to excellence will most certainly drive value for our customers."

> For more information, please contact:

Tecan
Frank Siefert
Untersbergstrasse 1A, A-5082 Grödig
AUSTRIA
Tel +49 2683 988218
frank.siefert@tecan.com   www.tecan.com

VWR International, Inc.
Robin Gervasoni
1310 Goshen Parkway, West Chester, PA 19380
USA
Tel 610-430-7258
robin_gervasoni@vwr.com   www.vwrbiosciences.com

> About Tecan
> Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading global player in the Life Sciences supply industry specializing in the development, production, and distribution of advanced automation solutions enabling pharma and academic research, diagnostics, food and veterinary research as well as forensics. Through its REMP subsidiary (www.remp.com), Tecan is the leading supplier of compound and sample storage, management and logistics solutions. Tecan clients are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments and diagnostic laboratories. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both North America and Europe and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2005, Tecan achieved sales of CHF 344.9 million (USD 275.9 Mio.; EUR 222.5 Mio.). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SWX Swiss Exchange (TK: TECN / Reuters: TECZn.S / Valor: 12100191).
> 

About VWR International, Inc.
VWR International, Inc. is a leader in the global research laboratory industry with worldwide sales of over US $3.0 billion. VWR’s business is highly diversified across a spectrum of products and services, customer groups and geography. The company offers more than 1,000,000 products and services, from more than 5,000 manufacturers, to over 250,000 customers throughout the world. VWR’s primary customers work in the pharmaceutical, life science, chemical, technology, food processing and consumer product industries. Other important customers include universities and research institutes; governmental agencies; environmental testing organizations; and primary and secondary schools. VWR International affiliates operate in 20 countries and employ approximately 6,000 people. The company’s mission is to deliver excellence in the distribution of scientific supplies. The VWR International Group is headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
For more information on VWR International, phone 1-800-932-5000, visit www.vwr.com, or write, VWR International, Inc., 1310 Goshen Parkway, P.O. Box 2656, West Chester, PA 19380-0906.
VWR and design are trademarks of VWR International, Inc

BIO-Europe Spring(TM) Launches in Milan: Business Leaders, International Biotech Industry and Italian Government Welcome New Springtime Biotech Partnering Conference

Milan, Italy, January 16, 2007: At a press conference held today at the Palazzo Marino (Sala Alessi), leaders from the Italian government, the city of Milan (with the Mayor, Miss Letizia Moratti) and luminaries from both the Italian and global biotechnology industry officially inaugurated BIO-Europe Spring. Held at the Milano Convention Center (MIC), March 5-7, 2007, BIO-Europe Spring will be the preeminent springtime partnering conference for the biotechnology industry as well as a valued counterpart to BIO-Europe, the world’s largest standalone biotechnology partnering conference.

“We are excited that the EBD Group has chosen Milan as the venue to unveil its latest biotech partnering conference, BIO-Europe Spring. When leaders of the global biotech industry gather here in March they will discover a city and region poised to become a leading center for scientific knowledge and discovery, adding to Milan’s well-known reputation as the center of the design and fashion world,” said Alessandro Sidoli, Chief Operating Officer of Axxam and Vice President of Assobiotec, the Italian Bioindustry Association, that organizes the event in partnership with EBD.

Strategic partnering is becoming an increasingly important element for companies operating in the biotechnology industry. In this highly competitive and rapidly globalizing industry, successful partnering strategies help companies gain access to new markets, funding, and identify new intellectual property for in-licensing.  BIO-Europe Spring and its sister conference, BIO-Europe, use EBD Group’s proprietary state-of-the-art web-based partnering software platform that enables firms from every part of the biotechnology value-chain to quickly identify, engage and enter into strategic relationships that drive their business successfully forward.  

“We are proud to inaugurate our new partnering event in Milan, a city that throughout history has seen the technological innovations giving shape and meaning to the modern world,” said Carola Schropp, Founder of the leading partnering firm in the biotechnology industry, the EBD Group. “Designed as the counterpart to our flagship conference BIO-Europe, the BIO-Europe Spring event will feature the powerful combination of one-on-one partnering meetings and company presentations characteristic of all of EBD’s partnering events. It will bring together international decision-makers from all biotechnology sectors, pharmaceutical companies and financial firms.”

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global biotechnology industry. For over 12 years, firms in the life sciences have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships that drive their business. EBD Group’s conferences (run in collaboration with leading industry partners and international trade associations such as BIO and Eucomed) include BIO-Europe, the world’s largest stand-alone life science partnering conference; BIO-Europe Spring; the investor conference BioEquity Europe conference (co-organized with BioCentury Publications); and the medical technology partnering conference, BioDevice Partnering. EBD’s proprietary software system also powers partnering at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants can provide hands-on operational consulting for firms seeking to in- or out license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in San Diego, Munich and London. For more information visit www.ebdgroup.com or www.bioeuropespring.com for conference related issues.

Registration & General Questions

Tom Voigt

EBD Group

Phone: +1 (760) 930 0500

tvoigt@ebdgroup.com, www.bioeuropespring.com

A four-day International Symposium organised in honour of Prof. Léon Ghosez

April 10 - 13, 2007 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

There are already 300 participants!

You can still REGISTER for the symposium and if you would like to submit an abstract please send it to us at: ghosezsymposium@LDOrganisation.com

All information is available under www.ghosezsymposium.org.

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME

The Symposium will start on Monday April 9, 2007 for registration. The scientific program will begin on Tuesday April 10, 2007 and finish on Friday April 13, 2007. Along with the 24 invited lectures, the four-day international symposium programme will provide, during lunch time, a forum for presentation and discussion through poster sessions, which will be organised together with a commercial exhibition.

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Catalytic and Asymmetric Vinylogous Mukaiyama Reactions: Methodology and Synthetic Applications Dr. Jean-Marc CAMPAGNE, (ENSCM, Montpellier, France)

Novel Ligands and Reactions in Asymmetric Catalysis
Dr. Juan Carlos CARRETERO, (UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA de MADRID, Madrid, Spain)

Selective Reactions and their Use in the Synthesis of Biologically Active Natural Products
Prof. Janine COSSY, (ESPCI, Paris, France)

Fluorous Mixture Synthesis Approaches to Natural Product Stereoisomer Libraries
Prof. Dennis P. CURRAN, (UNIVERSITY of PITTSBURGH, Pittsburgh, United States)

Organic Nanochemistry
Prof. François DIEDERICH, (ETH-ZURICH, Zürich, Switzerland)

Studies in Natural Products Synthesis
Prof. David A. EVANS, (HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, United States)

New Chemistry from an Old-timer!
Prof. Léon GHOSEZ, (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Radical Chemistry with Amino Acids and Peptides
Prof. Bernd GIESE, (UNIVERSITAT BASEL, Basel, Switzerland)

Discovery, Understanding and Applications of New Fluorination Processes
Dr. Véronique GOUVERNEUR, (UNIVERSITY of OXFORD, Oxford, United Kingdom)

Novel Modified Nucleobases, Nucleosides and Nucleotides: Synthesis, Biological Activity and Applications
Dr. Michal HOCEK, (IOCB, ACADEMY of SCIENCES, Prague, Czech Republic)

Protein-sized Synthetic Folded Architectures
Dr. Ivan HUC, (IECB, Pessac, France)

>From Supramolecular Chemistry to Constitutional Dynamic Chemistry
Prof. Jean-Marie LEHN, (ISIS/ULP, Strasbourg, France)

Natural Product Synthesis: a Stimulus for Discovery
Prof. Steven V. LEY, (UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge, United Kingdom)

Reactivity and Conformational Flexibility: a Study of Bridged Azetidinones
Prof. Jacqueline MARCHAND-BRYNAERT, (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

New Methods for the Preparation of Enantiomerically Pure Quaternary Carbon Centers
Prof. Ilan MAREK, (TECHNION-ISRAEL INSTITUTE of TECHNOLOGY, Haifa, Israel)

Efficient and Connective Synthesis of Natural Products
Prof. Istvan MARKO, (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Total Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Products: Complex Targets-Simple Solutions
Prof. Goverdhan MEHTA, (INDIAN INSTITUTE of SCIENCE, Bangalore, India)

Fine Approach to Polymer Synthesis
Prof. Kyoko NOZAKI, (The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan)

Dearomatization of Phenols – Why, How and What for?
Prof. Stéphane QUIDEAU, (UNIVERSITE de BORDEAUX 1, Talence, France)

Chiral Metal Hydrides for Asymmetric Catalysis
Prof. Olivier RIANT, (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Rapid Formation of Molecular Complexity in Natural Product Synthesis
Prof. Erik SORENSEN, (PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Princeton, United States)

Adventures in Peptide Synthesis and Molecular Recognition
Dr. Laurent TREMBLEAU, (UNIVERSITY of ABERDEEN, Aberdeen, United Kingdom)

Post-Translational Glycosylation: Problems and Opportunities
Prof. Chi-Huey WONG, (The SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, La Jolla, United States)

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis
Dr. Hisashi YAMAMOTO, (UNIVERSITY of CHICAGO, Chicago, United States)

A Quest for New Reactions: Some Interesting Perspectives for Organic Synthesis
Prof. Samir ZARD, (ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE, Palaiseau, France)

Symposium Secretariat

LD ORGANISATION

+32 10 45 47 77
+32 10 45 97 19
E-mail : secretariat@LDOrganisation.com
Url : http://www.LDOrganisation.com

DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c48935 ) has announced the addition of Worldwide Cell Based Screening & Analysis Market for Bio-Pharma Drug Discovery to their offering.

This report reviews, analyzes and sizes the cell based screening and analysis market. The study uncovers interesting information about key equipment, consumables, reagents, software and services that are marketed to biotech and pharmaceutical companies that are doing drug discovery research.

Large bio-pharma companies have commented at industry meetings that fifty percent of their high throughput compound screening projects in drug discovery involves screening cells. The companies are using cell-based assays for both primary and secondary screening and have taken a great interest in the areas of high content screening and high content analysis.

The report assesses the market and maps the competitors on the market landscape with more than 80 companies identified. The financial section sizes the market and discusses the five-year revenue projection. The market is segmented by major product areas as well as market sub segments. This market is also segmented by major world regions to see the growth or how the market share might change.

Major company alliances, M&As, patents that were issued during the last two years are reviewed and analyzed. Large data tables summarize the alliances, M&As and patents. The alliance table summarizes more than 210 deals. The patent table displays key details of over 340 patents.

This research report is designed for people that include marketers, business development, top executives, investors, VCs, consultants, R&D managers, entrepreneurs and etc. More than 42 detailed tables or figures provide key data about items such as strategic alliances, M&As, market size, segments and the like.

This report includes 28 company profiles that provide the reader a snapshot of the companies’ focus or activities. The provided Internet links help readers access companies’ own web sites for further review.

Topics Covered
1.        What Cell Analysis is and What We Are Aiming for With This
Research Project
1.1       Our Definition of the Cell Analysis Market
1.2       The Aim of This Research Report

2.        Overview -- Current Market Status and R&D Status in Biotech
and Pharma (Bio-Pharma) for Cell Analysis
2.1       Cell Based Screening & Analysis Helps Pharma Productivity
2.1.1     Drug Making Productivity
2.1.2     Increasing Use of Cell Based Screening and Analysis
Platforms
2.2       Cell-Based Analysis Applications in Bio-Pharma Drug
Discovery & Development
2.2.1     Traditional Pharma Drug Discovery Paradigm & Compound
Screening
2.2.2     Drug Targets and Main Drug Target Classes
2.2.3     Cell Assay Development - Bio-pharmas Make Their Own Assays
2.2.4     High Throughput Screening (HTS) & High Content Screening
(HCS)
2.2.5     Toxicology Testing (Safety Screening)
2.3       Current Equipment & Tools and R&D for Cell Analysis
2.4       Current Technologies and Related R&D for Cell Based
Screening-Analysis
2.5       Current Reagents & Assays and Related R&D for Cell Based
Screening-Analysis
2.6       Main Competitors by Large, Medium and Start-up
(Emerging Companies)

3.        Trends and Directions of Cell Based Screening and Analysis
Equipment and Technologies
3.1       Trends: Cell Screening Equipment
3.1.1     Plate Imaging Equipment for Cell based HTS
3.1.2     Imaging Cytometry Equipment for HCS/ HCA
3.1.3     Emerging Developments In Cell Based Screening
3.2       Trends: Cell Screening Technologies
3.2.1     Labeling Reagents and No-Wash Assays
3.2.2     Cells as Reagents
3.2.3     Stem Cells Used as a Drug Discovery Tool

4.        Alliances & IP
4.1       Summary and Review of Major M&As, Alliances, or Deals
4.1.1     M&A and Alliances at a Glance
4.1.2     Leading M&A Acquirers
4.1.3     Data Tables for M&As and Alliances Involving Cell-Based
Analysis
4.2       Summary of Key Patent IP Involving Cell-Based Analysis

5.        Market Size and Forecast 2006 to 2011
5.1       The Total Worldwide Cell-Based Screening-Analysis Market
Size
5.2       Market Segments by Product Type and Revenues
5.2.1     Major Market Segments by Main Product Areas
5.2.2     Comparison of Major Market Segments by Market Shares,
2007& 2011
5.2.3     Equipment Segment by Product Type
5.2.4     'Consumables' Segment by Product Type
5.2.5     Content Segment by Product Type
5.2.6     Services Segment by Product Type
5.2.7     'Others' Segment by Product Type
5.3       Market Segments By Major Worldwide Regions
5.3.1     Region Segments
5.3.2     Comparison of Region Segments by Market Shares, 2007 & 2011
5.4       Outlook for Leading Commercial Vendors Market Share Rank

6.        Activities of Cell Based Screening-Analysis Companies
6.1       Multiplatform Cell Screening/Analysis Systems
6.1.1 to 6.1.7 Total 7 companies
6.2       Flow Cytometry Screening Systems
6.2.1 to 6.2.4 Total 4 companies
6.3       High Content Screening/Analysis Cell Imaging Systems
6.3.1 to 6.3.5 Total 5 companies
6.4       Cell-Based Screening Assays/Reagents
6.4.1 to 6.4.5 Total 5 companies
6.5       Cell Screening Assays/Reagents
6.5.1 to 6.5.3 Total 3 companies
6.6       Contract Research and Development Services
6.6.1 to 6.6.3 Total 3 companies
6.7       Cell Screening/Analysis Software
6.7.1 to 6.7.4 Total 4 companies

7.        Conclusions: Findings & Opportunities
7.1       Important Findings
7.1.1     Market Size and Growth
7.1.2     Alliances and IP
7.1.3     Bio-Pharma Product & Technology Users
7.1.4     Equipment
7.1.5     Services
7.2       The Cell-Based Screening & Analysis Business/ Tech Market
Roadmap and Opportunities
7.2.1     Major CBSA Products & Services Segments by Growth Rate
7.2.2     Important Growth Areas Within Major Segments

8.        Appendix
8.1       Company Contacts    (Total 85 companies)
8.2       Patent Data Tables  (Total 340 patents)

List of Tables

List of Illustrations

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c48935

Singapore R&D center to develop life science instruments targeted for US$650 million market

SINGAPORE, Feb. 1, 2007 - Fluidigm accelerates its R&D and manufacturing activities in Singapore, through the launch of its new Biomedical Product Development Center. This center, a core part of Fluidigm’s worldwide R&D organization, will be responsible for the full development of a Fluidigm BioMark II series of instrumentation.

The BioMark II system will allow Fluidigm to expand its business into the biomarker validation market, which is a rapidly growing market in the life science industry. This strategic development makes Fluidigm the first biotechnology company to expand its portfolio in Singapore, with leading-edge biochip and system R&D capabilities. It also underlines the company’s confidence in Singapor’s technical competence.

The Biomedical Product Development Center
The center’s initial research activities will support the development of instrumentation for the BioMark II system. The Singapore research group will undertake 100% of the R&D on a new biochip fluorescence reader and biochip loader, specially designed for high-throughput genotyping and protein expression applications. Fluidigm Singapore will also manufacture the BioMark II system. These new instrumentation will allow the company to tap into the genotyping and protein expression markets, valued at US$ 350 million and US$300 million respectively. This will help Fluidigm expand further into the research tool market, broaden the reach of its current products and enable the development of future products.

Operations for the Biomedical Product Development Center will commence immediately, with its current R&D team of 5. Additional staff will be recruited from Singapore’s large pool of manufacturing and research expertise. The R&D center will also be supported by the local precision engineering companies, academic, biomedical and pharmaceuticals research institutions.

Headquartered in the U.S., Fluidigm Corporation set up Fluidigm Singapore as its first offshore R&D and manufacturing operation. This introduced the breakthrough nanofluidic biochips, known as Integrated Fluidic Circuits (IFC) into the local biomedical sciences scene. Analogous to microprocessors in the semiconductor industry, these IFC biochips can replace roomfuls of lab equipment in the life sciences industry. The BioMark II system leverages on IFC’s innovative technology to achieve dramatic improvements for genetic and protein analysis, over existing technologies. Fluidigm’s cutting-edge solutions have contributed to the research success of many internationally, well-regarded academics and pharmaceutical companies. See Annex 1 for more information on IFCs and the BioMark system. See BioMark News Highlight sheet for success stories of how Fluidigm?s solutions have helped its clients.

“We are very pleased with Fluidigm Singapore’s progress over the last year. The expansion of our portfolio through the Biomedical Product Development Centre is evidence of Singapore’s conducive environment for cutting-edge biomedical R&D activities. We look forward to further strengthening Fluidigm Singapore’s development capabilities, through new technology transfer and applications development,” said Mr. Gajus Worthington, President and CEO of Fluidigm Corporation. See Annex 2 for Mr. Worthington’s biodata.

“The expansion of Fluidigm’s Singapore operations to include product development and the manufacture of a new instrument systems underscores the important role that Singapore plays in Fluidigm?s vision for growth,” said

Mr Philip Yeo, Chairman, Agency Science Technology & Research (A*STAR) and Chairman, Bio*One Capital. Mr Yeo was the guest-of-honor at the official launch of the Biomedical Product Development Center. “The new Fluidigm Biomedical Product Development Center will allow the company to leverage on the biochip capabilities and the supporting precision engineering infrastructure in Singapore, to be a key player in the rapidly growing market in scientific instruments. Bio*One Capital through its investments, has played a pivotal role in supporting the growth of Fluidigm since 2001, leading to the expansion of its operations here. Together with the EDB’s Biomedical Sciences Group, Fluidigm will be assured of continuing support for the exciting new project in Singapore.”

Rapid progress in Singapore
The launch of the Biomedical Product Development Centre has cemented Fluidigm Singapore as a key player in the local biomedical sciences industry. Fluidigm Singapore has made tremendous progress since its October 2005 opening. In less than a year, the company established full process capability for its first product - the TOPAZ Screening Chip. This is a specialized IFC biochip for protein crystallization, a research process used to study a protein’s structure and, in doing so, assess its role in disease and suitability as a target for drug therapies. The TOPAZ chip has major pharmaceutical companies amongst its list of key customers. Following this success, the company took on expanded R&D responsibilities to work on the next generation of biochips. In August 2006, the Singapore team successfully produced the Dynamic Array chip, one of the most complex and advanced biochips on the market. In December 2006, a new product pilot line was transferred from the U.S., to support the development of the next generation of IFC chips in Singapore. These new generation IFC chips will have much higher scale of integration, and provide exponential increases in throughput for the customers.

Fluidigm Singapore has successfully collaborated with many local precision engineering companies to develop enabling technologies for biochip fabrication. These include laser technology applications, high precision machining and molding technologies. These novel solutions will translate into millions of dollars in cost savings for the company.

About Fluidigm
Fluidigm Corporation develops and distributes systems based on the unique properties of integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) to precisely control fluids on a nano-volume scale. The company’s vision is to create and to lead a new industry in which IFCs bring unparalleled efficiencies to the life science and allied fields. Based in South San Francisco, California, the Company is privately held and backed by premier investors: Versant Ventures, Euclid SR Partners, InterWest Partners, Lehman Brothers Healthcare Fund, Bruce Burrows, Singapore Bio*One Capital, Lilly BioVentures, the Invus Group, GE Equity, SightLine Partners, AllianceBernstein, Wasatch Advisors and its affiliate, Cross Creek Capital and Alloy Ventures.

For media enquiries, contact

Chan Yiu Lin
Greener Grass Communications
Email: yiulin@greenergrass.com.sg
HP: (65)-9765 5897