Positive Beta Site Results for Sequenom's iPLEX™ Assay Trigger Multiple Sales

Sequenom, Inc. has announced the purchase of multiple MassARRAY® Compact systems, following the completion of two iPLEX assay beta site programs. 

The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute each purchased two systems based on positive results using the iPLEX multiplexing application for various fine mapping projects. 

"Sequenom's iPLEX assay is very useful for evaluating targeted sets of SNPs," stated Stacey Gabriel, Ph.D., Director of the Genetic Analysis Platform of the Broad Institute. 

"It also expedites follow up work in the validation of genome scan results and we hope it will prove valuable in up-coming cohort studies involving diabetes and other complex diseases."

The Broad Institute is home to the first national center for high-throughput genotyping dedicated solely to large-scale SNP analysis.

Researchers used the iPLEX assay for fine mapping and biomarker validation of an international consortium study on Type 2 diabetes.

"We use the MassARRAY system because it's very flexible, allowing us to conduct projects that require typing of one SNP up to several hundred," stated Panos Deloukas, Ph.D., Senior Investigator, Division of Medical Genetics, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. 

"With the advent of iPLEX, the system became more competitive for fine mapping studies, offering higher levels of multiplexing and maintaining data quality."

"We are very pleased by the decision of both the Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute to adopt the iPLEX assay for use with the MassARRAY Compact for fine mapping studies," said Harry Stylli, Ph.D., MBA, Sequenom's President and Chief Executive Officer. 

"The promising results of the beta site programs serve to further position Sequenom as a leading provider of solutions for SNP genotyping studies in the fast growing fine mapping segment of the genomic analysis market."