MetaMorphix and Sequenom Agree to Build on Success

MetaMorphix, Inc. (MMI) and Sequenom, Inc. have announced the strengthening of their partnership through MMI's adoption of Sequenom's MassARRAY® and iPLEX™ foundation technologies, which provide genotyping and enhanced efficiencies.

Sequenom's high-throughput commercial platform for animal DNA screening and selection will allow MMI to scale up, increasing MMI's ability to handle its increasing sample volumes following MMI's successful launches of DNA-based diagnostic products for both the livestock and companion animal markets.

"The successful market acceptance of MMI's genomic products has accelerated our need to produce millions of genotypes per year," said Dr. Ed Quattlebaum, CEO and co-chairman of MetaMorphix, Inc. "Our Sequenom partnership provides the best enabling technology to meet our ever increasing customer demands in a timely and efficient manner."

Sequenom President and CEO, Dr. Harry Stylli, said, "We are delighted to expand our successful partnership with MMI, which is using innovative methods to improve livestock quality and developing products that enhance the health of companion animals. Our MassARRAY platform provides a synergistic fit for MMI's genotyping endeavors as it is highly suitable for cost effective testing of a large number of DNA samples."

During 2007, MMI released seed-stock and feedlot management products for the livestock industry that were the end result of a partnership with Cargill, an international agricultural and food company. Feedlots owned by Cargill are currently being outfitted and upgraded to utilize the new DNA-based management tools that will allow for more economical and higher quality beef cattle production.

Due to the large number of cattle DNA samples which Cargill will be sending to MMI labs, the high-throughput Sequenom technologies are essential components of a successful operation. MMI and Sequenom have committed to an aggressive scale up schedule already underway.