SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cepheid , a broad-based molecular diagnostics company, today announced an agreement with VWR International, a leading global distributor of scientific equipment, supplies, chemicals and furniture, to distribute Cepheid Industrial life science products in the United States. This non-exclusive agreement expands Cepheid’s Industrial market reach in the U.S. by extending its domestic sales channel to reach more government, academic and biotechnology laboratories working with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology*.
“Cepheid is an industry-leader in providing instruments to enable industrial life science laboratories to leverage real-time PCR easily, effectively and affordably,” said VWR Life Sciences Category Manager John A. D’Errico, Ph.D. “Adding Cepheid’s products to our current catalog of products ensures our customers have access to the most advanced and proven instruments on the market.”
Under the terms of the agreement, VWR will distribute Cepheid’s SmartCycler(R) instrument system, SmartMix(R) HM master mix, and associated accessories in the U.S.
The SmartCycler(R) system is a leading real-time PCR testing platform for genetic analysis and detection. It is designed to meet the needs of laboratory professionals who require time-critical answers to rapidly and accurately identify and study a wide range of genetic markers and infectious agents. With up to 96 individually programmable reaction sites, it is one of today’s most flexible and easy-to-use rapid real-time thermal cyclers with features designed specifically to deliver rapid results and improved multiplexing.
The SmartMix(R) HM product is a premium master mix in Cepheid’s proprietary bead format. In an easy-to-use 2.6mm bead, it provides all the necessary reagents to perform PCR. SmartMix(R) HM master mix is optimized for single target and multiplexed real-time PCR reactions, and is manufactured under cGMP and delivers increased stability and extended shelf life.
“Cepheid’s SmartCycler(R) and SmartMix(R) products bring state of the art, real-time PCR technology to leading molecular laboratories around the world, giving them the ability to rapidly address even complex multi-target analyses,” said Cepheid Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Robert Koska. “This strategic relationship with a trusted supplier like VWR will help Cepheid expand its growing position in the Industrial and Life Science markets here in the United States.”
*Practice of the 5'-nuclease amplification and detection process is a patented process of F. Hoffmann La Roche.
About VWR International, Inc.
VWR International is a leader in the global research laboratory industry with worldwide sales in excess of $3 billion US dollars. VWR’s business is highly diversified across products and services, geographic regions and customer segments. The company offers products from a wide range of manufacturers, to a large number of customers primarily in North America, Europe and other locations. VWR’s principal customers are major pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, technology, clinical, food processing and consumer product companies, universities and research institutes, governmental agencies, environmental testing organizations, and primary and secondary schools. VWR distributes a diversified product mix, including chemicals, glassware and plasticware, equipment and instruments, furniture, protective apparel, production and safety products, and other life science and laboratory products and supplies. VWR supports its customers by providing storeroom management, product procurement, supply chain systems integration, technical services and laboratory bench top delivery. VWR maintains operations in over 20 countries and employs over 6,000 people worldwide. VWR International is headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania. VWR-G
For more information on VWR International, phone 1-800-932-5000, visit www.vwr.com, or write, VWR International, Inc., 1310 Goshen Parkway, P.O. Box 2656, West Chester, PA 19380-0906.
About Cepheid
Cepheid , based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets fully-integrated systems for genetic analysis in the clinical, industrial and biothreat markets. The company’s systems enable rapid, sophisticated genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automating otherwise complex manual laboratory procedures. The company’s easy-to-use systems integrate a number of complicated and time-intensive steps, including sample preparation, DNA amplification and detection, which enable the analysis of complex biological samples in its proprietary test cartridges. Through its strong molecular biology capabilities, the company is focusing on those applications where rapid molecular testing is particularly important, such as identifying infectious disease and cancer in the clinical market; food, agricultural, and environmental testing in the industrial market; and identifying bio-terrorism agents in the biothreat market. See www.cepheid.com for more information.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are not purely historical regarding Cepheid’s or its management’s intentions, beliefs, expectations and strategies for the future, including those relating to product performance and usage in the clinical diagnostics market and future products for the clinical market. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from the company’s current expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as those relating to: unforeseen development and manufacturing problems; our ability to successfully obtain regulatory approvals for additional products and to introduce new products in the clinical market; customer market acceptance of new products; the failure of products to perform as expected, whether due to manufacturing errors, defects or otherwise; the impact of competitive products and pricing; potentially lengthy sales cycles in some markets; reimbursement rates for the products; and underlying market conditions worldwide. Readers should also refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Cepheid’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2005 and in its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, each filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
All forward-looking statements and reasons why results might differ included in this release are made as of the date of this press release, based on information currently available to Cepheid, and Cepheid assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement or reasons why results might differ.
CONTACTS: At Cepheid: John L. Bishop John R. Sluis CEO, Cepheid CFO, Cepheid 408-541-4191 408-541-4191 john.bishop@cepheid.comjohn.sluis@cepheid.com At Financial Relations Board: At Schwartz Communications: Tricia Ross Chris Stamm Investor/Analyst Information 781-684-0770 310-854-8318 cepheid@schwartz-pr.comtross@financialrelationsboard.com At VWR International: Robin Gervasoni 610-430-7259 robin_gervasoni@vwr.com
Cepheid
CONTACT: John L. Bishop, CEO, john.bishop@cepheid.com, or John R. Sluis,CFO, john.sluis@cepheid.com, both of Cepheid, +1-408-541-4191; or TriciaRoss, Investor/Analyst Information of Financial Relations Board,+1-310-854-8318, tross@financialrelationsboard.com, for Cepheid; or ChrisStamm of Schwartz Communications, +1-781-684-0770, cepheid@schwartz-pr.com,for Cepheid; or Robin Gervasoni of VWR International, +1-610-430-7259,robin_gervasoni@vwr.com
