SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) and XRGenomics LTD, a UK based biotechnology company, announced today that they will collaborate on research and development of a new generation of diagnostic tests for age-related diseases. Over 50% of healthcare costs are spent on those aged 65 and older and according to the G8 Summit 2013, age-related diseases could bankrupt Western medicine by 2050. New solutions are required to deliver efficient and effective care.
XRGenomics has utilized Affymetrix technology to develop novel gene expression-based signatures that enable translational research and biomarker test development activities in areas such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other age-related diseases.
“Our unique approach to building diagnostics for complex diseases that become prevalent with age requires a high-throughput global transcriptomics solution such as that offered by expression array plates processed on the Affymetrix GeneTitan® System – a platform that is scalable, accurate, and cost-effective,” said Professor Jamie Timmons, PhD, chief scientific officer at XRGenomics.
He went on to say “to provide the next generation of clinically meaningful diagnostics for geriatric medicine, one must simultaneously assess multiple ‘RNA scores’ or markers for several age-related chronic diseases to get an accurate picture of the patient. This is why we are so excited to be working with Affymetrix to optimize our RNA signatures in thousands of patients with cognitive impairment using the Affymetrix GeneTitan® platform, which is extremely well suited to meet the technical demands of large scale clinical trials.”
“There is a clear need to address the enormous challenge of managing complex age-related diseases that face healthcare systems globally. We believe that the work of XRGenomics will materially improve the research, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related diseases in the near future,” said Dan St. Louis, senior vice president of the Expression Business Unit at Affymetrix. “Our GeneChip® U133 Plus 2.0 array used by XRGenomics, particularly in its high-throughput automated format, continues to serve as a proven platform for clinical and translational researchers who need to analyze the expression profile of large clinical cohorts with the accuracy, reproducibility, speed, and cost-effectiveness required to successfully develop complex RNA-based tests for clinical utility.”
XRGenomics hopes that their biological age signature becomes an important stratification tool for dementia research as early as 2017.
About XRGenomics LTD
XRGenomics LTD is a privately held company with informatics-driven research and development activities in the field of aging and diabetes diagnostics. For more information about XRGenomics LTD, please visit www.xrgenomics.com
About Affymetrix
Affymetrix technologies enable multiplex and simultaneous analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level, facilitating the rapid translation of benchtop research into clinical and routine use for human health and wellness. Affymetrix provides leadership and support, partnering with customers in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government, and non-profit research institutes in their quest to use biology for a better world. More than 2,300 microarray systems have been shipped around the world and more than 94,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published citing Affymetrix technologies. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, San Diego, Vienna, and Singapore. Affymetrix has about 1,100 employees and maintains sales and distribution operations worldwide. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit www.affymetrix.com
Forward-looking statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies," or the like. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected. These and other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and other SEC reports for subsequent quarterly periods.
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