SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cepheid, a broad-based molecular diagnostics company announced today that it has entered into an amendment of its patent license agreement with Applera Corporation relating to real-time thermal cycler instruments.
Under the terms of the amendment, Cepheid’s SmartCycler(R) and GeneXpert(R) real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) thermal cyclers are licensed real-time thermal cyclers under Applera’s U.S. Patent No. 6,814,934, European Patent No. EP 0 872 562, Japanese Patent No. JP 3136129 and patents pending for all fields including human in vitro diagnostics. This amendment expands the field of the license to now include the detection, characterization, and monitoring of HIV and Hepatitis C infections.
“This is an important expansion of the field for Cepheid in that it provides us with the rights to potentially further exploit the benefits our instrument systems provide to significant existing viral markets. Although further licenses may be required to introduce clinical tests for quantitative detection of HIV and Hepatitis C, this first step removes a significant impediment to the development of those tests,” said John Bishop, CEO of Cepheid. “Representing a paradigm shift in the automation of molecular diagnostics, the GeneXpert System in particular is potentially well suited to provide better patient management capability for patients dealing with these types of viral infections.”
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 http://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 demand for products. 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 the potential for lengthy sales cycles in certain markets; the performance and market acceptance of new products; sufficient customer demand; the occurrence of unforeseen problems with respect to the product; the impact of competitive products and pricing; 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 its other reports 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 the Company: 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: Tricia Ross Investor/Analyst Information 617-520-7064 tross@financialrelationsboard.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; orInvestor/Analyst Information, Tricia Ross of Financial Relations Board,+1-617-520-7064, tross@financialrelationsboard.com, for Cepheid
Web site: http://www.cepheid.com//
