Agilent Technologies and Lipomics Collaborate to Develop Research, Diagnostic Biomarker Assays
Feb 12, 2007

Press Release

SANTA CLARA, CA and WEST SACRAMENTO, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Feb 12, 2007 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A - News) and Lipomics Technologies Inc. today announced that they will collaborate to develop research and diagnostic assays combining Agilent analytical platforms with Lipomics' expertise in biomarker discovery and validation.
The assays will focus on metabolic diseases, a family of related disorders driven in large part by subtle, long-term dysregulation of lipid metabolism. Lipomics Technologies provides quantitative, diagnostically accurate measurements of more than 1,500 metabolites, allowing comprehensive profiling of whole-body lipid metabolism. The company's quantitative methods and expertise in lipid biology drive development of clinically relevant diagnostic and research assays.

"Lipomics has developed considerable expertise in investigating the role that lipid metabolism plays in disease mechanisms," said Michael McNulty, general manager of Diagnostics, Agilent Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis. "Both companies see significant synergies in combining this expertise with Agilent's capabilities to separate, detect and analyze molecules in the development of new diagnostic tools."

"We look forward to building clinically relevant diagnostic products together," said Meeta Patnaik, chief medical officer, Lipomics. "Lipid diagnostics are key to managing patients in areas such as cardiovascular risk, CNS disorders and inflammation, and requires the combination of well validated biomarkers and high-throughput technology for commercialization. The Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer is key to the collaboration, as the microfluidic-based lab-on-a-chip system delivers the analytical performance, automation and low sample consumption required to study metabolic biomarkers."

A wider range of Agilent liquid and gas chromatography, hyphenated technique instrumentation, reagents, microarrays and informatics software will also be deployed as needed.

About Lipomics

Lipomics Technologies provides industry-leading metabolic assessments for drug research, clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine. The company's proprietary analytical technologies generate comprehensive, accurate and quantitative profiles of lipid metabolites.

A broad range of bioinformatics and analytical tools map these profiles to the underlying biochemical pathways. Through these tools, Lipomics delivers deep and rich knowledge about biological and metabolic changes induced by disease, drug action, nutritional or lifestyle influences.

In partnership with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition companies, Lipomics uses its technologies to discover new diagnostic biomarkers, improve drug discovery, develop companion diagnostics and enable individualized health management.


About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A - News) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.0 billion in fiscal 2006.