Nanogen and Transgenomic Enter into Distribution Agreement

Nanogen Inc and Transgenomic Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement allowing Transgenomic to distribute Nanogen's NanoChip Molecular Biology Workstation in selected Western European countries. Transgenomic's European marketing and sales organization will market, sell and service the instrument. The NanoChip Workstation is an automated, open-architecture instrument that facilitates routine detection of known genetic variation, complementing the Transgenomic WAVE System's ability to scan for unknown genetic variation.

The quest by researchers to associate genetic variation with clinical observations and outcomes potentially requires multiple technologies, depending on the specific situation. Transgenomic's WAVE System offers an accurate and cost-effective solution when it is necessary to scan for all possible genetic variation, known or unknown. In addition, WAVE technology has proven highly effective in detecting low-abundance genetic variation, such as somatic mutations that may arise during the course of cancer progression or in the development of drug resistance. Nanogen's NanoChip Molecular Biology Workstation is an extremely flexible platform that facilitates routine detection of known genetic sequences, such as detection of SNPs and short tandem repeats (STRs) using the NanoChip Electronic Microarray. The unique, open-architecture design permits researchers to define, select and build their own test panels, or select from Nanogen-developed analyte specific reagents designed to detect mutations associated with various diseases.

Posted 15^th January 2004