Life Technologies
(
LIFE
) continued its expansion of the Ion AmpliSeq portfolio with the
recent launch of Comprehensive Cancer and Inherited Disease Panels.
The company expects this new set of Ion AmpliSeq technology to help
researchers to study samples by delivering more rapid and
comprehensive sequencing of Gene Mutations.
Combined with the Ion AmpliSeq Designer V1.2, Ion AmpliSeq
Library Kit 2.0 and the company's latest Ion Reporter Software, the
new panels provide an in-depth solution for the research of genetic
basis of human diseases.
Earlier in March 2012, Life Technologies expanded its AmpliSeq
offerings with the launch of Ion AmpliSeq Custom Panels and the
accessibility of the Ion AmpliSeq Designer that has target design
rates and coverage uniformity up to 98%. Since then, over 1,000
custom designs have been submitted to the researchers globally.
In October last year, Life Technologies launched the Ion
AmpliSeq Cancer Panel to help scientists sequence dozens of genes
in cancer research samples using a simple workflow. In addition to
confirmation of mutations within one day, the system also makes DNA
extraction possible from fixed, frozen or fresh tissue. The Cancer
Panel sequences 46 cancer-related genes for over 700 known cancer
mutations.
The Ion franchise was inducted into Life Technologies' portfolio
with the acquisition of Ion Torrent, a DNA sequencing company, in
October 2010. For the past few quarters, the company has been
recording robust growth from its Ion personal genome machine
("PGM") that was launched in December 2010, thereby taking the
total number of system placements to 700 in 2011.
Life Technologies is satisfied with the progress achieved so far
with Ion Torrent technologies and expects the growth momentum to
continue. This will be supported by more PGM placements and the
scheduled launch of the Ion Proton Benchtop sequencer.
The company is already taking orders for Proton Benchtop, which
is expected to hit the US market in mid-2012. Based on
next-generation semiconductor technology, the device will be able
to sequence the entire human genome in one day for $1,000.
Genome sequencing, which is currently in vogue, uses optical
based technologies that may take weeks to deliver results and is
also dearer at $5,000−$10,000. In addition, the high cost of the
instrument ($500,000−$750,000) has been a deterrent to its
expansion in research labs. Over the recent past, focus has been on
reducing the cost of sequencing a gene so that this specialized
know-how can benefit the patient community at large.
The DNA sequencing market is likely to get more competitive as
San Diego-based
Illumina
(
ILMN
) is also looking at launching its HiSeq 2500 in the second half of
2012.
We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock
retains a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) in the short term.
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