WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: WGBS), a leading developer of state-of-the-art genome analysis systems, today announced the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement for the company's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System with Takeda Rika Kogyo Co., Ltd., a leading distributor of innovative products and services in the life science markets within Japan.
"Distribution of the SmartChip System to customers in Japan is an important step of our commercialization strategy to expand customer adoption of the SmartChip System into new large target markets," said Alnoor Shivji, chairman and CEO of WaferGen. "We look forward to a continued strong relationship with Takeda Rika Kogyo to enable the success of SmartChip in the important Japanese market."
"We recognize the value of the SmartChip System to advance genome analysis research in the growing Japanese market, and are so confident in its value that we have committed to a sales agreement with WaferGen," said Takuto Takeda, president of Takeda Rika Kogyo. "By improving biomarker identification and validation, we believe that the SmartChip System will make a significant difference by enabling scientists to more quickly and effectively understand disease at the molecular level in order to target therapies."
The SmartChip Real-Time PCR System is a genome analysis platform that combines the high-throughput capability and cost efficiencies of existing microarrays, with the sensitivity and accuracy of real-time PCR, offering identification and validation capability in a single platform. The result will be the ability to conduct improved gene expression research at a fraction of the time and cost currently produced by existing instrument systems. The WaferGen SmartChip System will provide a number of key ease-of-use features including content-ready chips with gene panels optimized for microRNA, cancer, and whole genome.
The company is in the early stages of commercializing the SmartChip System, and is currently offering the SmartChip System and the SmartChip Gene Expression Profiling Services as part of its revenue-generating Early-Access Program. The SmartChip System includes the 5,184-assay SmartChip, the SmartChip Cycler, and SmartChip Nanodispenser or Multi-Sample Nanodispenser for investigating candidate genes and microRNA panels for associate changes within disease states. The SmartChip Gene-Expression Profiling Services are provided to universities, research hospitals, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies by WaferGen scientists at the company's headquarters facility in Fremont, Calif.
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