SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen-Probe
Incorporated (Nasdaq: GPRO) announced today that the Company's
PANTHER™ system, a fully automated and integrated molecular testing
system designed with the flexibility to handle a wide range of
testing needs, has been CE-marked and is available for sale in
Europe.
"After three and a half years of active development, launching
our PANTHER system in Europe a
month ahead of schedule is a significant milestone in Gen-Probe's
history and a testament to the scores of talented and dedicated
employees who made it happen," said Carl
Hull, Gen-Probe's president and chief executive officer.
"We believe the PANTHER system will revolutionize molecular
diagnostics by offering customers high levels of productivity and
instrument flexibility that were once reserved for high-throughput
clinical chemistry and immunoassay systems."
Key features of the PANTHER system include:
- Fully integrated "sample-in, result-out" automation. A
single operator can process 275 samples in eight hours on the
PANTHER system. Hands-on time is less than an hour, yielding
seven hours of walk-away freedom. For larger customers, the
PANTHER system can continue running unattended, processing 500
samples in 12 hours.
- Primary tube sampling with random access loading for maximum
flexibility and productivity. Multiple assays can be run from
a single sample, and operators have continuous access to samples,
reagents and consumables.
- A customer-driven design, intuitive software for ease of use,
and remote diagnostics capabilities.
- Extensive process controls that include positive sample
identification, liquid level detection, reagent dispense
verification, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on
fluid containers.
- A small footprint with a width of 122 cm, a depth of 81.5 cm,
and a height of 175 cm.
In Europe, the PANTHER system
can initially be used to perform Gen-Probe's nucleic acid tests for
the common sexually transmitted infections Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
These include the APTIMA Combo 2®, APTIMA® CT (Chlamydia) and
APTIMA GC (gonorrhea) assays. Several other qualitative and
quantitative assays are in development.
The PANTHER system builds on the success of Gen-Probe's TIGRIS®
instrument, which was the first fully automated, high-throughput
molecular testing system for large laboratories. Since its
launch in 2004, more than 500 TIGRIS systems have been installed at
clinical diagnostic and blood screening laboratories around the
world.
The PANTHER system is CE-marked for sale in the European Union,
but has not been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration and
is not commercially available in the
United States. For more information on the PANTHER
system and available assays, European laboratories can contact
Gen-Probe customer service in Wiesbaden, Germany, at +49 6122 7076451, or
customerservice@gen-probe.eu.
About Gen-Probe
Gen-Probe Incorporated is a global leader in the development,
manufacture and marketing of rapid, accurate and cost-effective
molecular diagnostic products and services that are used primarily
to diagnose human diseases, screen donated human blood, and ensure
transplant compatibility. Gen-Probe has approximately 27
years of expertise in nucleic acid testing (NAT), and received the
2004 National Medal of Technology, America's highest honor for
technological innovation, for developing NAT assays for blood
screening. Gen-Probe is headquartered in San Diego and employs approximately 1,300
people. For more information, go to www.gen-probe.com.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this news release about our expectations,
beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or
performance are forward-looking statements. These statements
are often made through the use of words or phrases such as believe,
will, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend, plan and would.
For example, statements concerning possible or expected
results of operations, regulatory approvals, future sales, growth
opportunities, and plans of management are all forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
performance. They involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied. Some of
these risks include: (i) the risk that the PANTHER system will not
be cleared for marketing in the United
States; (ii) the risk that other assays will not be approved
for use on the PANTHER system; (iii) the possibility that the
market for the sale of our PANTHER system or other new products
may not develop as expected; (iv) the risk that our
intellectual property surrounding the PANTHER system will be
invalidated; and (v) the risk that we may not be able to compete
effectively. This list includes some, but not all, of the
factors that could affect our ability to achieve results described
in any forward-looking statements. For additional information
about risks and uncertainties we face and a discussion of our
financial statements and footnotes, see documents we file with the
SEC. We assume no obligation and expressly disclaim any duty
to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the
occurrence of subsequent events.
Contact:
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Michael Watts
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Vice president, investor
relations and
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corporate
communications
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858-410-8673
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SOURCE Gen-Probe Incorporated