PLEASANTON, CA--(Marketwire - March 12, 2009) -
Arcxis Biotechnologies, a privately held
biomedical device firm, today announced a strategic partnership and
technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel to accelerate availability
of the Arcxis nucleic acid sample preparation platform and diagnostic
consumable product line. In-Q-Tel is the independent strategic investment
firm that identifies innovative technology solutions to support the mission
of the CIA and the broader U.S. Intelligence Community. This investment is
linked to Arcxis' 2009 funding round led by Claremont Creek Ventures,
Kaiser Permanente Ventures and Alafi Capital previously announced, and
supports Arcxis' continued development and commercialization efforts.
"By efficiently extracting, isolating and purifying RNA and DNA from blood,
plasma and environmental samples," said Christine Meda, CEO and President.
"Arcxis Biotechnologies' new platform will insure extremely fast and
reproducible results, even in the hands of inexperienced users. This serves
not only to reduce experimental errors commonly encountered with other,
manual techniques, but improves the quantity and quality of the sample -- a
key component to results accuracy."
"Arcxis is an important addition to our strategic investment portfolio,"
said Troy M. Pearsall, Executive Vice President of Architecture and
Engineering at In-Q-Tel. "The automated extraction of microbial DNA from
clinical or environmental samples poses challenges that are unique compared
to instances where the target is abundant. Arcxis' technology promises to
mitigate these difficulties, and increase the sensitivity of assays
performed in-theater. This robust, rapid DNA extraction technology will be
an invaluable solution to the public and private sectors."
Arcxis will launch a fully automated RNA and DNA sample preparation device
to the clinical diagnostic marketplace later this year. This technology
capability will eliminate time-consuming sample preparation, as well as
provide users a greater volume of purified starting material for demanding
analyses, such as organism detection, genotyping, gene expression and PCR.
While the device is designed for efficient nucleic acid extraction and
purification from blood and plasma, its capabilities makes it ideal for
preparation of environmental samples. Arcxis is also developing a
complementary probe technology for creating highly sensitive and specific
assays.
About Arcxis Biotechnologies
Arcxis Biotechnologies headquartered in Pleasanton, California, is a
venture backed company formed to develop disruptive technologies toward
superior sample processing and pathogen detection accuracy. The company is
developing the Xisyl™ workstation, a nucleic acid sample preparation
platform, and the BioPhalanx™ analysis workstation, a fully automated
sample-to-result system for dramatically improved clinical laboratory
workflows. For additional information, please visit the company's website
(www.arcxis.com) or call (925) 461-1300.
About In-Q-Tel
In-Q-Tel is the strategic, not-for-profit investment firm that works to
identify, adapt, and deliver innovative technology solutions to support the
mission of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Launched by the CIA in 1999 as
a private, independent organization, In-Q-Tel's mission is to identify and
partner with companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve the
national security interests of the United States. Working from an evolving
strategic blueprint defining the Intelligence Community's critical
technology needs, In-Q-Tel engages with entrepreneurs, growth companies,
researchers, and investors to deliver technologies that provide superior
capabilities for the CIA and the larger Intelligence Community. In-Q-Tel
concentrates on several broad commercial technology areas including:
application software and analytics; bio, chemical, and nanotechnology
communications and infrastructure; digital identity and security; and
embedded systems and power. To date, In-Q-Tel has engaged with more than
125 companies and delivered more than 140 technology solutions to the
Intelligence Community. To learn more about In-Q-Tel, visit www.iqt.org.
