Agilent licenses Caliper's microfluidic LabChip technology to develop diagnostic systems leading to personalised medicine applications
Caliper Life Sciences and Agilent Technologies have announced an agreement granting Agilent a non-exclusive licence to use a majority of Caliper's microfluidics patent estate for the development of clinical diagnostic applications on Agilent's 2100 bioanalyser, its 5100 automated lab-on-a-chip platform, and future instrument platforms.
This agreement leverages the expertise and leading technology of Caliper and Agilent, enabling both companies to capitalise on the burgeoning diagnostics market.
Under a separate supply agreement, Agilent will use Caliper as its exclusive supplier of planar LabChip products for the 2100 bioanalyser and future instrument platforms for the next five years.
The diagnostics licence agreement is part of Caliper's 'LabChip Driven' programme, under which the company licences its LabChip technology to developers of innovative products and services.
Agilent will pay an upfront fee to Caliper, plus royalties on future sales of diagnostics LabChip products covered under the agreement.
"Our years of success with the 2100 bioanalyser product line have demonstrated the long-term value of Caliper's LabChip technology for life science research, and this technology holds tremendous promise for other markets," said Chris Van Ingen, president, life sciences and chemical analysis, at Agilent.
"Human clinical diagnostics is a major opportunity for Agilent, and we see synergy in combining microfluidics technology with Agilent's broad systems expertise.
"Our partnership with Caliper has been very productive, and we look forward to continuing to leverage both companies' expertise to deliver innovative solutions for our customers".
"Adding the Agilent diagnostic licence to our LabChip Driven programme is an important milestone for our business," said Kevin Hrusovsky, president and CEO at Caliper.
"We believe our LabChip technology will play a leading role in the evolution of the diagnostics market as personalised medicine becomes mainstream.
"Where testing must be increasingly integrated, there is a real market need for cost-effective solutions that are able to migrate closer to the patient while still producing extremely high-quality results.
"Agilent is the ideal partner to help us leverage our technology into the diagnostics market.
"Our new long-term chip supply agreement with Agilent cements our position as a leading microfluidic chip supplier and signifies a continued collaborative and productive future relationship between our companies".
Caliper has also updated revenue guidance for 2005.
Based on preliminary financial data, Caliper expects second quarter revenue to be at the top end of the previously announced range of $17 million to $20 million.
The company also reaffirmed its previous revenue projection for the full year of $84 million to $90 million.
Agilent Technologies describes itself as the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis.
The company's 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries.
Agilent has net revenue of $7.2 billion in fiscal year 2004.
Caliper Life Sciences uses its advanced liquid handling and LabChip technologies to create leading edge tools that accelerate drug discovery, enable diagnosis of disease and facilitate scientific research.
Caliper headquarters are located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, with R and D, operations and manufacturing facilities for LabChip devices in Mountain View, California, and direct sales, service and applications support throughout the world.
Caliper customers and partners include many of the largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences companies.
