RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metabolon, Inc., a leader in metabolomics-driven biomarker discovery, announced today the launch of DiscoveryHD4™, the company’s fourth-generation metabolomics platform. This new technology platform will empower the company's metabolomics TrueVision™, mVision™ and mView™ research and biomarker discovery offerings, as well as its diagnostic product development pipeline. Further extending Metabolon's leadership position in metabolomics research and diagnostics, this platform enables a more expansive and precise global biochemical coverage of metabolite markers across the entire metabolome, thus increasing the ability to discover novel biomarkers and research questions.
Two key innovations power the DiscoveryHD4™ platform advancements. First, accurate mass instrumentation coupled to our new software technology provides a profound increase in sensitivity, and leads to the detection of more metabolites with greater precision. Second adding a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) method to the company’s standard platform technology provides a more complete picture for metabolites within central carbon, or “energy,” metabolism, among other advances. The novel software tools that Metabolon has pioneered leverages these technical advancements. Together with Metabolon’s wealth of biochemistry expertise, these advancements are significant ingredients to Metabolon’s leadership and success in metabolomics.
“This new technology platform advances the evolution of our metabolomics capabilities and intellectual property,” said John Ryals, Ph.D, President and CEO of Metabolon. “These capabilities are a primary reason we are seeing more collaborations with large initiatives such as the one we recently announced with Craig Venter’s new genomics initiative, Human Longevity Inc. There is growing recognition of the value metabolomics offers to empower genomics and connect genetics to the phenotype, or the living system’s observable characteristics. Having a metabolomics technology platform with an industrialized capability and a capacity that can keep pace with the power of modern sequencing technologies is important to maintaining our position of industry leadership. The breadth of metabolome coverage that this new platform now provides enables more mechanistic insight into the basis of human health and disease.”
“Our scientists are ecstatic about the enhanced resolving power that the DiscoveryHD4™ will deliver our clients across academia and the biotechnology industry. We are already leveraging the enhanced resolving power of the new platform to fuel our diagnostic biomarker discovery pipeline,” commented Michael Milburn, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Metabolon. “Not only are we able to identify more metabolite markers than ever before, we have extended our capabilities to routinely measure additional classes such as steroids and energy metabolites. With these advancements, we can take a complex sample, such as blood, and rapidly identify and rigorously quality control up to 1,000 metabolites in a single biological sample, more than many have thought possible. Practically, this means our potential to discover more sensitive and specific biomarkers and understand what these signatures mean for the underlying biology is dramatically heightened.”
About Metabolon
We are the world’s leading commercial-stage metabolomics company. We are pioneering the emerging field of global biochemical pathway analysis for biomarker discovery and for the development of innovative diagnostic tests. Metabolomics is a rapidly evolving field of biochemical research and discovery focused on the measurement of small molecules involved in metabolism. Our proprietary metabolomics technology maps these small molecule pathways to identify diseases, discover biomarkers, and better understand complex biological processes. Our Metabolytics business uses our proprietary metabolomics technology to conduct sponsored studies to provide insight into complex biochemical processes for our collaborators in the life sciences industries and academia. We use data from these studies to populate our large and growing metabolomic information and pathway knowledge databases, which generate new product ideas for our Diagnostics business. Through the complementary interplay of our Metabolytics and Diagnostics businesses, we have been able to develop and launch three innovative, non-invasive, and cost-effective diagnostic tests designed to address the large and underserved markets for obesity-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, and urological cancers. We believe our commercialized diagnostic tests and advancing product pipeline have the potential to provide physicians with better and more clinically actionable results in the detection, intervention, and prevention of obesity-related diseases and urological cancers than existing diagnostic tests. For more information, visit www.metabolon.com, or email jryals@metabolon.com or call 919-287-3364.
Cautionary Note about Forward-Looking Statements
The materials provided herein that are not historical facts are or might constitute projections and other forward-looking statements regarding future events that involve substantial risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of these assumptions prove incorrect, the results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties, and assumptions referred to above include, but are not limited to: the uncertainties inherent in biochemical research and development; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding whether and when to approve diagnostic tests; our and our distributors’ ability to successfully commercialize and market both new and existing products; governmental laws and regulations affecting health care, including regarding access, pricing and reimbursement of diagnostic tests; the strength of our intellectual property portfolio; our history of losses; whether we are able to achieve or sustain profitability; our highly competitive industry; our ability to compete effectively; security and privacy risks; and our ability to continue to innovate and provide products and services that are useful to our clients, among other risks, uncertainties, and assumptions.
