Sequenom Expands MassARRAY® Platform Utility
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Sequenom, Inc. has announced the launch and commercial availability of two products for quantitative biomarker analysis for the company's proprietary MassARRAY system.
These products are directed to the growing methylation marker analysis market and gene expression analysis market.
The first product, the EpiTYPER™ assay, is a tool for DNA methylation marker research. High levels of cytosine methylation in genomic regions, such areas being referred to as CpG islands, are often associated with decreased or completely inhibited gene expression.
Researchers believe that DNA methylation patterns play an important role in early cancer detection and prognosis.
Sequenom's EpiTYPER assay is designed to assist cancer geneticists and researchers in other fields by providing quantitative results in the form of methylation ratios in targeted genomic regions.
"Unlike classic methods that assess methylation activity at individual sites in the genome, the EpiTYPER assay quantitatively assesses methylation ratios simultaneously across multiple CpG sites over multiple samples, dramatically increasing the scope and throughput of analysis," said Norma J. Nowak, Ph.D., of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
The second product, the QGE iPLEX™ multiplex assay is designed to provide scientists with a research tool for quantitative gene expression analysis.
"With the launch of these new products, we are delivering on our product goals for the first quarter of 2006," said Harry Stylli, Ph.D., M.B.A., President and Chief Executive Officer of Sequenom.
"Together with our existing products for genotyping and mutation analysis, these new products now empower MassARRAY system users to perform genotyping, gene expression, and methylation studies all on a single platform."
"We believe these new products and our platform's multi-capability will drive new system sales and increase demand for our consumables chips and reagents."
The EpiTYPER assay and the QGE iPLEX assay will be presented at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Conference in Washington D.C. beginning April 1, 2006.
