PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT - News) announced today that it will work with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX to develop Waters® ACQUITY UPLC(TM) System software controls for use with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX’s Analyst® software. Greater operational integration and connectivity of the two instrument platforms translates into a higher-level of efficiency and productivity for scientists using both a Waters ACQUITY Ultra Performance LC® System connected to a mass spectrometer from Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX.
“Scientists have seen the unique advantages of using UPLC with mass spectrometry to increase throughput and performance and we are very pleased to now work with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX to offer UPLC as a fully-supported LC inlet to the Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX family of mass spectrometers,” said Rohit Khanna, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Waters Corporation.
The decision to cooperate between Waters and Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX engineers to develop the software controls is being driven by scientists in the mass spectrometry community combining ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC(TM)) with MS. UPLC has proven to produce narrower and sharper peaks versus HPLC, higher signal-to-noise ratios, and shorter run times -- all of which contribute to enhanced mass spectrometer performance bringing laboratories new levels of efficiency.
Waters ACQUITY UPLC system, first introduced at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon) in 2004, is changing the name of the game in separation science. This system is a first of its kind LC system designed to take full advantage of the potential of novel sub two-micron particles to give scientists chromatographic run times that are up to 9X shorter than today’s fastest HPLC systems, up to 2X better peak capacity or resolution, 3X better routine sensitivity, and, generally speaking, more information from a single run than anything today’s HPLC systems can provide. The ACQUITY UPLC system received a Pittcon Editors Gold Award at Pittcon 2004 and an R&D 100 Award in 2005 from R&D Magazine as one of the most technologically significant new products introduced within the last year.
About Waters Corporation
Waters Corporation holds worldwide leading positions in three complementary analytical technologies -- liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis. These markets account for approximately $5.0 billion of the overall $20 - $25 billion analytical instrument market.
About Applera Corporation
Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems’ products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as “applied markets,” such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of over $1.9 billion during fiscal 2006. The Celera Genomics Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers as well as other known markers. Celera Genomics maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott Laboratories for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera Genomics is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking strategic partnerships to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/.
About MDS Sciex and MDS Inc.
MDS Sciex is the scientific instrumentation and technology solutions division of MDS Inc. MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS - News; NYSE: MDZ - News) has more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 27 countries. It provides a diverse range of superior products and services to increase customers’ speed, precision and productivity in the drug development and disease diagnosis processes. MDS is a global, values-driven life sciences company, recognized for its reliability and collaborative relationships that help create better outcomes in the treatment of disease. Find out more at http://www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-800-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.
Waters, ACQUITY, ACQUITY UPLC, and Ultra Performance LC are trademarks of Waters Corporation. Applied Biosystems and Celera are registered trade marks of Applera Corporation. Analyst is a registered trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc.
Certain statements contained herein are forward looking. Many factors could cause actual results to differ from these statements, including delays in product introductions, loss of market share through competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, pressures on prices from competitors and/or customers, regulatory obstacles to new product introductions, lack of acceptance of new products, changes in the healthcare market and the pharmaceutical industry, changes in distribution of the Company’s products, and foreign exchange fluctuations. Such factors are discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and, in particular, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.
Investor Contact: Media Contact: Gene Cassis Brian J. Murphy Vice President, Investor Relations Manager, Corporate Communications 508-482-2349 508-482-2614
Source: Waters Corporation
