NimbleGen extends research market reach

Madison, Wis. - NimbleGen Systems, Inc., a supplier of high-density microarray products and services, is preparing to access new markets through newly obtained intellectual property rights from Affymetrix Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif. firm

The license agreement will allow NimbleGen to commercialize products, including nucleic acid microarrays and related instruments and software, covered by Affymetrix patents.

The technology is used to study the relationships between genes and health, and is applied in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as academic, government, and non-profit research institutes.

Alan Sherr, vice president and chief counsel for licensing at Affymetrix, said the non-exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement will enable both companies extend their reach into the growing microarray market.

NimbleGen president and CEO Stan Rose called the license "a major milestone" in NimbleGen's evolution as a company, and part of a fundamental expansion of its commercial strategy. "Our intent is to expand dramatically the ability of scientists to access NimbleGen products and services," he said. The license is "going to open up new markets we weren't previously addressing. It's going to introduce new products and services we might not have otherwise pursued."

Rose explained that NimbleGen can now manufacture and sell arrays to scientists for use in their own laboratories whereas in the past, if those scientists wanted access to NimbleGen technology, their only option was to send in samples for analysis at the company's service laboratory in Reykjavik, Iceland, due to intellectual property constraints.

"By obtaining these rights, we're now comfortable selling them these materials to use themselves," Rose explained.

Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

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