Penzberg, November 15, 2007
Roche and ACEA enter exclusive world-wide agreement. Roche Applied Science acquires innovative key technology for cell-analysis
Roche and ACEA Biosciences Inc., San Diego, USA today announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement for the development, OEM supply and distribution agreement for ACEA Bioscience’s real-time cell assay technology. Under the terms of the agreement, RAS will exclusively market systems for real-time cell analysis, based on ACEA Bioscience's impedance-based technology. This technology is designed for a multitude of applications spanning from short term kinetic analysis, for example for measuring effects on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), to assays for cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and even cell migration and invasion.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“After completing our product portfolio in DNA/RNA analysis with 454 and NimbleGen, the ACEA technology will be an essential cornerstone to strengthen and further extend our product portfolio in cell analysis. We are convinced that ACEA´s platform products for cell based assays will form a new industrial standard for life science lab-ware,” commented Manfred Baier, Head of Roche Applied Science.
“We are pleased to strategically partner with Roche, one of the premier companies in the life science industry, in the development of this exciting new business – label-free, real time cell-based assays,” said Dr. James O’Connell, ACEA Bioscience’s CEO. “Cell-based assay is a rapidly growing field with many applications in pharmaceutical research, life science research, and a large number of other rapidly growing areas.” Dr. O’Connell continued: “Our microplate-based biosensor platform will provide users with many advantages simply not possible with current technology, and will greatly improve their laboratory productivity. We look forward to working with Roche in this important new area.”
ACEA Bioscience’s design of electronic sensor, innovative methods for data acquisition and analysis, and optimized instrumentation design provide a unique platform for cell based assays with the potential to become a benchmark item for cell biology and molecular biology labs. The major advantages of the ACEA RT-CES and RT-CIM technology over conventional approaches include:
• Label-free system
• Real-time kinetics
• Live cell quality control
• High information content
• Good sensitivity and reproducibility in monitoring an entire cell population in a culture well
ACEA's technology integrates microelectronics with cell and molecular biology. The core of the system is a microelectronic biosensor array incorporated into each well of standard sized 16 and 96 well microplates. This permits the RT-CES® System to measure the activity of living cells in real time without any labels or reporters. Any number of cellular parameters such as attachment, spreading, growth, death, and even specific morphological changes can be simply and reliably detected.
About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world’s biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, a market leader in virology and active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation, metabolism and central nervous system. In 2006 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 33.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.7 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 75,000 worldwide and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche’s Diagnostics Division offers a uniquely broad product portfolio and supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide. For further information, please visit our website at www.roche.com.
About ACEA
ACEA Biosciences has pioneered the development of high-performance microelectronic systems for cell-based assays. ACEA has developed and is marketing on a world-wide basis its microplate-based biosensor platform for a variety of applications in drug development, toxicology, cancer research, and medical microbiology and virology. ACEA's products are designed to meet the increasing needs of the life science research and drug discovery markets by providing cost-effective, automated, high content, real time detection systems that simplify complex cell-based assay procedures and increase productivity. With its international reach, ACEA Biosciences works closely with scientists throughout the world. Hangzhou, China is the site of ACEA's world-class manufacturing operations. A network of distributors assures the timely sales, service, and support of ACEA's growing product line throughout the world. ACEA Biosciences headquarter is in San Diego, California.
For more information please contact
Roche Diagnostics GmbH
Dr. Burkhard Ziebolz
Phone +49 (8856) 60 4830
Email: burkhard.ziebolz@roche.com
