HistoGenetics Wins Multi-Year Contract for HLA Typing Using PacBio Sequencing
August 01 2016 - 7:30AM
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq:PACB) today
announced that HistoGenetics, a pioneer and global leader in
high-resolution HLA sequence-based typing services, has received a
multi-year contract to perform HLA typing using PacBio® sequencing.
The contract is expected to drive demand for several thousand
samples per week over the next several years.
HLA typing, the analysis of genes in the human leukocyte antigen
region of the human genome, is of critical importance for research
in tissue transplantation matching, autoimmune disease-association
studies, drug hypersensitivity research, and other applications.
These genes are highly polymorphic and contain thousands of alleles
that code for proteins important in recognizing foreign antigens.
This complexity has made analyzing them with other sequencing
technologies both challenging and costly. In contrast, the long
reads provided by Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing are
ideally suited for accurate allele-level genotyping of the HLA
region.
“In HLA typing, there is no room for errors. The combination of
PacBio’s high accuracy and long read lengths to accurately sequence
and phase HLA genes is the new gold standard in the field,” said
Dr. Nezih Cereb, Chief Executive Officer of HistoGenetics. “We
believe no other technology can match PacBio when it comes to
long-read sequencing, especially for difficult regions of the
genome where you have repeated or highly polymorphic sequences. Our
unprecedented investment and expertise in PacBio’s long-read SMRT
Sequencing undoubtedly played a key role in our ability to win this
latest significant contract, and it is a technology platform we
intend to continue to invest in.”
“HistoGenetics was early to recognize the value in having full
sequences for HLA typing, and we’ve worked closely with them over
the last two years as they’ve developed high-throughput workflows
on their expanding base of PacBio RS II Systems,” said Dr. Michael
W. Hunkapiller, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific
Biosciences. “We are delighted to see HistoGenetics’
success in winning this important contract based on our SMRT
Sequencing technology, and we look forward to working closely with
them as they fulfill this remarkable program.”
About Pacific Biosciences
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PACB)
offers sequencing systems to help scientists resolve genetically
complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time
(SMRT®) technology, Pacific Biosciences’ products enable: de novo
genome assembly to finish genomes in order to more fully identify,
annotate and decipher genomic structures; full-length transcript
analysis to improve annotations in reference genomes, characterize
alternatively spliced isoforms in important gene families, and find
novel genes; targeted sequencing to more comprehensively
characterize genetic variations; and real-time kinetic information
for epigenome characterization. Pacific Biosciences’ technology
provides high accuracy, ultra-long reads, uniform coverage, and is
the only DNA sequencing technology that provides the ability to
simultaneously detect epigenetic changes. PacBio® sequencing
systems, including consumables and software, provide a simple,
fast, end-to-end workflow for SMRT Sequencing. More information is
available at www.pacb.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical are
forward-looking statements, including, among other things,
statements relating to future uses, quality or performance of, or
benefits of using, products or technologies, expected benefits from
the contract received by HistoGenetics, future demand, capacity
increases or investments by HistoGenetics with regard to SMRT
Sequencing products or technology and other future events. You
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements
because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties,
changes in circumstances and other factors that are, in some cases,
beyond Pacific Biosciences’ control and could cause actual results
to differ materially from the information expressed or implied by
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Factors that
could materially affect actual results can be found in Pacific
Biosciences’ most recent filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including Pacific Biosciences’ most recent
reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K and 10-Q, and include those listed under
the caption “Risk Factors.” Pacific Biosciences undertakes no
obligation to revise or update information in this press release to
reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new
information becomes available.
Contacts
Media:
Nicole Litchfield
415.793.6468
nicole@bioscribe.com
Investors:
Trevin Rard
650.521.8450
ir@pacificbiosciences.com
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