Bruker Daltonics and Geneva Proteomics Announce Strategic Alliance
Geneva Proteomics has selected 51 MALDI-TOF and ion trap mass spectrometers from Bruker Daltonics for the world's first large-scale proteomics factory. Bruker Daltonics is also making a strategic equity investment in Geneva Proteomics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Billerica, Massachusetts and Evanston, Illinois -
September 12, 2000 - Bruker Daltonics Inc. (NASDAQ: BDAL) and Geneva Proteomics, Inc. ("GeneProt") announced today that they had entered into a strategic alliance agreement in proteomics. Under the agreement, GeneProt has purchased 51 mass spectrometry systems, as well as consumables and support from Bruker Daltonics. Simultaneously, Bruker Daltonics is making a strategic equity investment, in cash and in stock, in Geneva Proteomics, and both companies will collaborate and share technologies for industrial-scale proteomics.
Geneva Proteomics is in the process of establishing the world's first large scale proteomics factory in Geneva, Switzerland. Under the alliance announced today, Geneva Proteomics will purchase from Bruker Daltonics all the mass spectrometry equipment required for this factory.
Specifically, GeneProt will utilize 6 REFLEXÔ III MALDI-TOF systems, including Bruker Daltonics' eight-channel sample prep robots and ultra-high sensitivity AnchorChipsÔ for high throughput protein identification assays. In addition, GeneProt's proteomics strategy will employ 44 electrospray and nano-electrospray esquire3000Ô ion trap mass spectrometers for multistage mass spectrometry assays to obtain significant protein sequence coverage and post-translational modifications, and one further eesquire3000 machine to characterize GeneProt's synthetic proteins.
"We are most excited that Geneva Proteomics, a leading and visionary proteomics company, will exclusively utilize our integrated mass spectrometry solutions in their Geneva large-scale proteomics factory. We are gratified by this affirmation of our innovative systems as the mass spectrometry tools of choice for cutting-edge proteomics companies," said Frank H. Laukien, Ph.D., President and CEO of Bruker Daltonics. "We have also made a strategic equity investment because we believe that GeneProt will be a leader in exploiting the vast commercial potential of proteomics."
Cédric Loiret-Bernal, M.D., GeneProt's CEO, stated: "Having carefully analyzed our options, we have concluded that Bruker Daltonics provides the best available technology for automated, sensitive proteomics by mass spectrometry in an industrial setting. We also welcome Bruker Daltonics' confidence and investment in Geneva Proteomics, and we look forward to using the capital from Bruker Daltonics and other strategic and financial investors to complete our Geneva proteomics factory, and to establish GeneProt as the world's leading proteomics company."
As part of their alliance, the parties will also collaborate on research and development in the proteomics area, and will share certain proteomics intellectual property and technology.
Bruker Daltonics is a leading developer and provider of innovative life science tools based on mass spectrometry. Its substantial investment in research and development allows it to design, manufacture and market a broad array of products intended to meet the rapidly growing needs of a diverse customer base, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, agricultural biotechnology companies, molecular diagnostics companies, academic institutions and government agencies. Bruker Daltonics has diverse technology platforms which integrate automated sample preparation and clean-up, advanced front-end AnchorChips MALDI targets and API source technology with cutting-edge proprietary MALDI-TOF, ESI-TOF, ion trap and FTMS mass analyzers, as well as analysis and bioinformatics software. Bruker Daltonics is also a worldwide leader in supplying mass spectrometry-based systems for substance detection and pathogen identification in security and defense applications.
Geneva Proteomics, Inc., (GeneProt™) is poised to become the international leader in proteomics. GeneProt intends to generate and commercialize proteomic and related biological and medical information to accelerate the understanding of biological processes, and to assist pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. To achieve the Company's goal, it plans to obtain massive quantities of proteomic data by mass spectrometry analysis of chosen biological fluids and tissues in healthy and sick individuals, enhance the value of the information obtained through bioinformatics, and synthesize small novel proteins and peptides.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty that exist in the Company's operations and business environment. Such statements are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect actual events or results include risks associated with performance under the Company's agreements with third parties, research and development progress, competitive products and the strength of the Company's patent portfolio. These factors and others are more fully described under "Risk Factors" in the Final Prospectus included in Bruker Daltonics' Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-34820) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and declared effective by the SEC on August 3, 2000.
REFLEX, esquire3000 and AnchorChips are trademarks of Bruker Daltonics Inc.
For more information, please contact:
John Wronka, Ph.D.
Vice President
Bruker Daltonics Inc.
15 Fortune Drive
Billerica, MA 01821 (USA)
T. (978) 663-3660 x1213
F. (978) 667-5993
john.wronka@daltonics.bruker.com
Cédric Loiret-Bernal, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Geneva Proteomics, Inc.
1840 Oak Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202 (USA)
T. (847) 344-2887
F. (847) 328-8432
cedric.loiret-bernal@geneprot.com |
Bruker Corporation
