Applied Biosystems obtains permanent injunction against Bio-Rad

Applied Biosystems, an Applera Corporation business, has announced that the US District Court for the District of Connecticut in New Haven, CT, has issued a permanent injunction against Bio-Rad Laboratories and MJ Research, an affiliate of Bio-Rad. The permanent injunction immediately prohibits Bio-Rad and MJ Research from making or selling infringing thermal cycler products in the US capable of performing PCR methods, including real-time PCR methods.

The injunction further prohibits Bio-Rad and MJ Research from servicing, repairing, advertising, instructing, or otherwise promoting the use of the infringing thermal cyclers for use with PCR. The injunction also requires that the defendants provide written notice of the injunction to their employees and all other persons involved in any way with making, using, selling, offering for sale, advertising or promoting the infringing thermal cyclers.

In entering the injunction, the Court enforced an earlier jury verdict following trial that the defendants infringe claims of US Patent Nos. 5,333,675; 5,656,493; and 5,475,610, and that those patent claims are valid and enforceable.

"The PCR instrument patents issued to Applera in the US reflect our continuing investment in innovation in this area," said Paul D Grossman, vice president, strategic planning, business development and intellectual property at Applied Biosystems. "We are pleased that the US District Court has recognized the value of this important intellectual property."

In April 2005, based on the jury's April 2004 finding that MJ Research had willfully infringed patents relating to PCR owned by Applera and Roche Molecular Systems (Roche), the Court increased damages awarded to Applied Biosystems and Roche to approximately $35 million, in addition to awarding attorneys' fees.

Amylin licenses LabVantage's BioBanking solution

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, CA, has licensed LabVantage's Sapphire BioBanking Solution. LabVantage Solutions, which is a provider of enterprise solutions, is a Chatterjee Management Group company and Optimized IBM Business Partner.

Amylin selected Sapphire for its functionality and for its flexibility. Sapphire is expected to enhance Amylin's ability to track the increasing number of samples used in the research and development of treatments for diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. According to a press release from LabVantage, the Sapphire BioBanking Solution has been designed to address the unique challenges of specimen collection and banking for pharmaceutical discovery and clinical operations, academic and biosciences research centers, medical institutions, and contract research organizations. It provides intricate chain-of-custody functionality, detailed location and shipment management, aliquot/derivative and pooled sample tracking, and electronic signature capture upon transfer and disposition. It offers a browser-based user interface and built-it Evergreen configuration tool to tailor the same solution to the needs of each laboratory within the organization.

Bio-Rad, Sysmex America sign pact

Bio-Rad Laboratories has signed a co-marketing agreement with Sysmex America, a medical diagnostic instrument manufacturer and information systems developer.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will jointly market their complementary products, the Bio-Rad VARIANT II TURBO HST Testing System and the Sysmex HST-N Hematology Automation Line, as a complete, integrated testing solution.

GeneChip-compatible status for Biotracker

Biotracker, a software application from Ocimum Biosolutions, a Hyderabad-based life sciences R&D enabling company, has achieved GeneChip-compatible status with the Affymetrix GeneChip microarray platform and that it has agreed to participate in the Affymetrix GeneChip-compatible Applications Program. The program provides customers with a broad spectrum of software solutions for biomedical research and development.

Ocimum's Biotracker is a GLP and US FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant Laboratory Information and Knowledge Management System. It is a tool for improving laboratory performance that allows analysts to keep track of samples, reagents, instruments, processes, and results at every stage of a project.

According to an official press release, Biotracker is a customized LIMS solution which has various modules, some of which are: Laboratory Administration module, Resource Schedule module, Project Tracking, Analysis and Result Archival module, Inventory Management and Tracking System module, Sample Tracking module and Plate tracking module.

PerkinElmer, Eppendorf to co-market Microarray Solutions

PerkinElmer and Eppendorf AG, a supplier of systems and research tools for the biotechnology industry worldwide, have signed a co-marketing agreement to jointly promote microarray technology that combines Eppendorf's DualChip (TM) content arrays with PerkinElmer's ScanArray(TM) GX Microarray Analysis System.

The combination of the novel DualChip technology, consisting of 2 identical arrays on a single slide, and the user-friendly scanning protocols of ScanArray GX provides a solution, from array processing to data analysis. The PerkinElmer/Eppendorf microarray solution is ideal for a wide range of applications, including medical, clinical and biotechnology research.

"Our scanners, combined with the optimized protocols for Eppendorf's new chip technologies, will deliver reliability and simplicity to customers," said Peter Coggins, president, PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences. "With PerkinElmer and Eppendorf's combined array expertise, committed scientists can now use an array as a personal tool that fits the budget," stated Dr Thomas Kolzau, director of the Microarray Systems Product Group at Eppendorf AG.

Imperial Bio-Medics launches thermal cyclers

Imperial Bio-Medics has tied up with Analytik Jena, a German giant in bioanalytical and analytical solutions. AJ's Speed Cycler, the first peltier based rapid thermal cycler, implements heating and cooling rates of 10C and 6C respectively. Optimized times for dehybridization and annealing make full use of the speed potential.

The interaction of the system components results in a speed that is up to ten times higher than that obtained with conventional thermocyclers.

A typical protocol allows a PCR of 30 or 40 cycles to be run within less than 13 minutes.

Due to the enormously fast change of temperature (cooling rates) at maximum control accuracy, primer mismatching during the annealing process is efficiently prevented. This results in amplification products of higher specificity.