Caliper Life Sciences Unveils LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System, the Next Generation in Microfluidic Drug Discovery Systems

HOPKINTON, Mass., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CALP), today unveiled the LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System at LabAutomation 2004 in San Jose, CA. The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is the latest addition to the company's suite of LabChip Microfluidic Systems. The automated system performs unattended biochemical and cell-based screening assays using Caliper's microfluidic chips. "The LabChip 3000 instrument platform is the first major product introduction since Zymark Corp. and Caliper Technologies combined to create Caliper Life Sciences," stated Kevin Hrusovsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caliper Life Sciences. "We have successfully merged Zymark's knowledge of automation liquid handling and discovery applications with Caliper's expertise in microfluidics to create a system that we expect will be rapidly recognized as the highest-quality approach to screening candidate drug compounds against biological targets. Liquid handling and automation have already revolutionized the sector and advanced systems such as LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System allow for an even higher level of discovery capability and efficiency." The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is a significantly updated and improved version of the Caliper 250 system, which has been recognized by leading scientists from major pharmaceutical companies as the most cost-effective, high-quality way to screen for drugs. The new system is approximately one-third the size of a Caliper 250 system and more affordably priced, making it more accessible for both small and large companies and setting the stage for mass adoption of microfluidic screening systems. "The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is an integrated research platform that can benefit research scientists in many areas of drug discovery by enabling an unmatched level of automation and data quality," stated Seth Cohen, Ph.D., Director of Application Sciences at Caliper Life Sciences. "Our systems consistently produce data of the highest quality and reproducibility, with high Z'values and few false positives and negatives. We are excited to bring a more advanced and refined level of precision to both existing users and to those who have been unable to afford or accommodate automated microfluidic platforms in the past. The entry-level Assay Development Station is ideal for selectivity screening, enzyme kinetic optimization and IC50 determinations, and a user can upgrade the system into a full screening system should their requirements increase." Significant user input led to redesigns of the optical, plate handling and chip interface systems, resulting in improved reliability and reduced instrument setup time. In addition, the LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System is designed on a modular platform, allowing users the opportunity to evaluate the remarkable benefits of microfluidics in their lab without investing a large amount of capital. The entry level LabChip 3000 Development Station is an economically priced, basic system that is fully upgradeable for high-throughput screening applications. The LabChip 3000 Screening System provides automated plate-handling and full environmental temperature and humidity control, allowing for unattended operation for up to 16 hours. Both systems offer the choice of fluorescence excitation and detection wavelengths. The LabChip 3000 Drug Discovery System runs assays that cover the most frequently screened target classes including kinases, phosphatases, proteases, and GPCRs. Increasingly, such assays are being applied not only in primary screening but throughout the drug discovery process including selectivity screening and generation of structure-activity relations (SARs). About Caliper Life Sciences Caliper Life Sciences uses its advanced liquid handling and LabChip technologies to create leading edge tools that accelerate drug discovery and enable diagnosis of disease. Caliper headquarters are located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, with R&D, operations and manufacturing facilities for LabChip devices in Mountain View, California, and direct sales, service and applications support throughout the world. Caliper customers and partners include many of the largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences companies. For more information, please visit Caliper's web site at http://www.caliperLS.com.