Waters and Tecan Sign Agreement for Clinical Assay Platform

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the growing need for greater efficiencies and throughput that can be obtained with the automation of routine clinical laboratory assays, Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) and Tecan Group (SIX Swiss Exchange: TECN) today entered into an agreement to combine Tecan's Freedom EVO® liquid handling platform with Waters® ACQUITY® TQD liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) to automate sample preparation. Waters will combine the technologies from both companies into a single, fully-supported analytical system solution that helps laboratories increase assay throughput and efficiency, improve profitability, and drive down overall assay costs. The firms announced the agreement at the annual Mass Spectrometry: Applications for the Clinical Laboratory (MSACL) meeting January 14 – 18 at which Waters will be exhibiting a number of its LC-MS based products including those for the therapeutic drug monitoring of the immunosuppressant drug Tacrolimus®. Waters will also present a variety of technical workshops and scientific posters at this year's conference.

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"The multi-step process of preparing samples for LC/MS/MS analyses remains a significant bottleneck and an opportunity for improvement in many laboratories. If there is one thing laboratory managers consistently ask for, it's better, more automated sample preparation and analysis," said Patrick Martell, Clinical Marketing Director, Waters Division. "Combining sample preparation and analysis in a single unified platform facilitates the entire assay process and streamlines analyses significantly. By lowering assay costs and bringing a greater consistency to test results, laboratories can offer clients a higher level of service and responsiveness."

About Tecan

Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production and distribution of automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. Its clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments, forensic and diagnostic laboratories. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2010, Tecan generated sales of CHF 371 million (USD 356 million; EUR 269 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/ ISIN: 1210019).

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

For over 50 years, Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) has created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.64 billion in 2010 and 5,400 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

Waters and ACQUITY are trademarks of Waters Corporation.
Tecan and Freedom EVO are trademarks of the Tecan Group Ltd.
Tacrolimus is a trademark of Astellas Pharma.

SOURCE Waters Corporation