Affymetrix, Leica Microsystems enter worldwide collaboration on RNA ISH analysis

Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFFX) and Leica Microsystems are pleased to announce a world-wide collaboration that automates Affymetrix' QuantiGene^® ViewRNA ISH Tissue Assay on the Leica BOND RX staining platform for research applications. This partnership provides researchers with a powerful automated everyday solution for drug-discovery, translational research, and the development of new companion diagnostic tests for personalized medicine by significantly reducing assay time for single-copy RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) analysis.

“We are excited by this partnership with Leica as it unlocks the true potential of single-copy RNA analysis and we believe it will accelerate the discovery of important new drugs and the validation of novel companion tests.”

The highly-sensitive QuantiGene^® ViewRNA ISH Tissue Assay assists drug discovery and translation research by enabling researchers to measure RNA expression directly in a tissue section at single-copy sensitivity. Over one thousand standard probes are already available and it only takes a few days to produce a customized probe for a new gene target. The Leica BOND RX system automates the staining process bringing all the benefits of consistency, reduced labor, and speed. This means researchers can now have access to same-day assay completion and, with a standardized staining protocol, rapid set-up for any probe.

George Bers, Vice President and General Manager of Expression Business Unit - Panomics at Affymetrix states that: "We are excited by this partnership with Leica as it unlocks the true potential of single-copy RNA analysis and we believe it will accelerate the discovery of important new drugs and the validation of novel companion tests."

Arnd Kaldowski, President of Leica Biosystems, agrees saying "While medical science has created powerful new treatments that greatly enhance lives, there are still many disease states where we need to discover better treatments, or even cures. We are proud that this collaboration with Affymetrix can help in the discovery and development process by enabling researchers to reduce both the time and cost of research so that new treatments can be made available to patients sooner."

Affymetrix' QuantiGene^® ViewRNA ISH Tissue Assay will be available for research applications in Q3 2012 on the research-optimized Leica BOND RX platform. An optimized QuantiGene^® ViewRNA staining protocol will be pre-loaded onto the Leica BOND RX and a complete staining kit, including probes and all detection components, will be available from Affymetrix.