Agilent Technologies, BioTrove to Streamline Drug Discovery Using High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry

Reseller Agreement Expands Existing Co-Marketing Relationship and Provides a Complete Solution for Enhanced Screening of Pharmaceutical Compounds

SANTA CLARA, Calif., and WOBURN, Mass., Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and BioTrove today announced that they have signed a non-exclusive value-added reseller agreement to enable BioTrove to provide an end-to-end solution for mass spectrometry-based drug discovery. This solution will combine technology leader BioTrove’s RapidFire Mass Spectrometry sample preparation system with Agilent’s rugged, accurate mass spectrometers. The reseller agreement expands on an established strategic relationship between Agilent and BioTrove, furthering both companies’ ability to enhance customer workflows.

BioTrove will provide an integrated solution for drug discovery using mass spectrometry analysis, affording customers access to a single system. BioTrove’s RapidFire system - comprised of robotics and microfluidic handling for sample preparation and advanced software - combined with Agilent’s Triple Quadrupole and Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry instruments create a high-throughput advanced workflow solution. The agreement includes Agilent atmospheric pressure ionization sources with the mass spectrometers, which generate reliable quantitative and qualitative results via highly sensitive and selective mass analysis, based on the molecular composition of the target compounds.

RapidFire mass spectrometry greatly decreases the bottleneck that occurs during high-throughput screening of candidate drug compounds by enabling automated sample preparation, at a rate of approximately six to eight seconds per sample, followed by seamless integration with the mass spectrometer. Currently used by 11 of the world’s largest 15 pharmaceutical companies, the RapidFire system is one of the fastest and most innovative drug discovery solutions on the market.

“Agilent has emerged as a leader in high-speed LC/MS systems and this partnership offers customers a truly high-throughput assay system and will enable unique, label-free assays that were previously virtually impossible,” said Gus Salem, general manager for Agilent’s LC/MS business. “Agilent is pleased to partner with BioTrove’s RapidFire system, the fastest sample-introduction technology on the market for LC/MS, to offer customers greater speed, throughput and enhanced productivity.”

“Our expanded collaboration enables our biopharmaceutical customers to unleash their research creativity while we focus on enhanced screening applications,” said Al Luderer, Ph.D., president and CEO, BioTrove. “As part of this complete solution, BioTrove will offer the RapidFire system and the mass spectrometer as well as provide support for the integrated system. The seamless end-to-end solution is now available globally via collaboration between Agilent and BioTrove.”

BioTrove will offer complete systems comprised of its RapidFire system combined with a broad offering of Agilent LC/MS systems including but not limited to: Agilent’s popular 6410 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS system, its new 6460 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS system with Agilent Jet Stream technology and industry leading sensitivity, or its 6220 Accurate Mass Time-of-Flight LC/MS system. As Agilent continues to innovate in LC/MS, new systems with even greater sensitivity, mass accuracy and speed will become available.

For more information on the combined solutions, please visit BioTrove and Agilent at the 11th Annual Symposium on Chemical and Pharmaceutical Structure Analysis, Oct. 27-30, in Langhorne, Penn.

About BioTrove

BioTrove Inc. offers two innovative technology platforms: OpenArray, which advances genomic research in a wide range of life science fields, including agriculture, disease research, and public health, and RapidFire, which enables the acceleration of drug discovery and pipeline decisions. With 11 of the 15 largest biopharmaceutical companies based on global sales as clients, and partnerships with prestigious research and public health centers around the world, BioTrove’s products and services ensure that an industry committed to accuracy and speed can meet business goals.

RapidFire Mass Spectrometry (RFMS) feeds samples directly to the mass spectrometer at six to eight seconds per sample, eliminating the bottleneck created by traditional mass spectrometry throughput. RFMS is routinely used in many applications including the high-throughput screening of previously intractable drug targets, ADME assays and directed evolution studies.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 20,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.4 billion in fiscal 2007. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.