NEWARK, Del., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Strategic Diagnostics Inc. (NASDAQ:SDIX) -- today announced the launch of a new internet based catalog of antibody reagents in support of oncology-based research and discovery. These high-quality reagents have all been manufactured utilizing SDI's proprietary Genomic Antibody Technology(TM) and will carry the SEQer(TM) brand. The catalog is available at http://antibodies.sdix.com online.
The catalog has launched with an initial offering of over 200 affinity purified antibody reagents. The Company will supplement this with up to an additional 25 new reagents each week as it strives to become recognized as the fastest-growing site of high quality, leading edge reagents for cancer research.
"Standard antibody production technologies have not changed in more than 20 years," commented Matthew H. Knight, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The SEQer antibodies in this catalog represent a breakthrough in antibody production and deliver multiple high performance attributes that reduced time, effort and data variation in the laboratory. In addition, the process that produces these reagents is high throughput as evidenced by our initial commitment to add up to 25 new antibody reagents each week. As recognition of SEQer antibody performance grows, we intend to increase this rate."
Mr. Knight continued, "The launch of the SEQer catalog is a direct response to market research highlighting how the Life Science industry and particularly proteomics research has been inhibited by to the lack of high quality antibody reagents. The National Cancer Institute convened the Proteomic Technologies Reagents Resource Workshop in December, 2005, to identify the cancer research community's expressed needs for validated and well characterized affinity capture reagents, including antibodies, to advance proteomics research platforms for the prevention, early detection, treatment, and monitoring of cancer. Many of the available catalogs typically broker pre-made antibodies from multiple sources and fall well short of meeting the performance needs of today's biomedical researchers. With the launch of the SEQer catalog, Strategic Diagnostics is taking the first step to address this research bottleneck and meet a surging demand. We expect to build the fastest-growing source of oncology-focused antibody reagents which represents a meaningful share of the highly fragmented, $800 million annual market for catalog reagents."
Strategic Diagnostics' Genomic Antibody Technology(TM) (GAT) platform
Genomic Antibody Technology(TM) is a proprietary technology developed by Strategic Diagnostics (SDI). This high throughput, sequence-based, in vivo production process creates high-quality poly- or monoclonal reagents used in the discovery of new diagnostic biomarkers, unraveling the underlying mechanisms of disease, and as the basis of potential monoclonal antibody therapeutics. These antibodies are produced in 76 days and early adopters have tracked a first-time success rate in excess of 80%. SDI's proprietary protein analysis software selects the optimal sequence associated with the specific protein or protein region the researcher wants to target and/or avoid. GAT expresses protein in vivo, thus assuring that the antigen targets and fully engages the natural mammalian immune system. This enables the production of an antibody that reacts more often and with greater fidelity when compared to reagents produced through traditional methods.
The SEQer catalog of antibodies addresses a number of well-known challenges associated with currently available reagents. Specifically, deficiencies in the ability to replicate the three dimensional conformation of target proteins through synthetic immunogens have resulted in reagents that do not reliably recognize or differentiate their intended targets. This, in turn, limits reagent performance and creates a level of uncertainty regarding the data produced with traditionally produced reagents. The SEQer antibody is focused on addressing the loss of productivity in research and development endeavors.
"The performance of our SEQer antibodies has been demonstrated with our many private and public collaborators in numerous assays," Mr. Knight said. "The programs have included significantly large screens for oncology markers and the ability to stain disease-associated proteins across thousands of clinical biopsy samples. More targeted studies have shown the ability to differentiate highly conserved proteins in cell sorting assays, the ability to react with traditionally elusive proteins of interest, and be directed through SDI's design algorithms to target functional sites in monoclonal applications."
SDI's GAT-produced antibodies are significantly better than traditional protein/peptide-produced antibodies, as they are produced in vivo by the host animal's natural immune system, and are therefore able to behave both chemically and mechanically as any naturally produced antibody would.
Oncology Focus
The SEQer oncology-focused portfolio is comprised of antibody tools that target proteins associated with cancer pathogenesis and progression, thereby succeeding in delivering usable data for more proteins and in more applications. SDI strategically focused on the area of oncology, as more than half of NIH-funded research and the majority of proteomic efforts are currently focused on cancer research.
"SDI is focused on the oncology segment of life science research and is committed to creating industry leading solutions for oncology research," Mr. Knight added. "This initial offering is a powerful step in that direction. As we expand this catalog, it will become the premier site for new and important antibody reagents for cancer research."
About Strategic Diagnostics, Inc.
Strategic Diagnostics Inc. develops, manufactures and markets biotechnology-based detection solutions to a diverse customer base, across multiple industrial and human health markets. By applying its core competency of creating custom antibodies to assay development, the Company produces unique, sophisticated diagnostic testing and reagent systems that are responsive to customer diagnostic and information needs. Customers benefit with quantifiable "return on investment" by reducing time, labor, and/or material costs. All this is accomplished while increasing accuracy, reliability and actionability of essential test results. The Company is focused on sustaining this competitive advantage by leveraging its expertise in immunology, proteomics, bio-luminescence and other bio-reactive technologies to continue its successful customer-focused research and development efforts. Recent innovations in high throughput production of antibodies from genetic antigens will complement the Company's established leadership in commercial and custom antibody production for the Research, Human/Animal Diagnostics, and Pharmaceutical industries, and position the Company for broader participation in the pharmacogenomics market.
This news release contains forward-looking statements reflecting SDI's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate", "could", "enable", "estimate", "intend", "expect", "believe", "potential", "will", "should", "project" "plan" and similar expressions as they relate to SDI are intended to identify said forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ from those anticipated by SDI at this time. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, changes in demand for products, delays in product development, delays in market acceptance of new products, retention of customers and employees, adequate supply of raw materials, the successful integration and consolidation of the Maine production facilities, inability to obtain or delays in obtaining fourth party, including AOAC, or required government approvals, the ability to meet increased market demand, competition, protection of intellectual property, non-infringement of intellectual property, seasonality, and other factors more fully described in SDI's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Company Contact: Investor Contact:
Stan Fronczkowski Hayden Communications
Chief Financial Officer Brett Maas
(302) 456-6789 (646) 536-7331
http://www.sdix.com brett@haydenir.comSource: Strategic Diagnostics Inc.
