Microarray technology enables researchers to genetic information such as gene "expression" or what genes are "turned on."and have proved indespensible in areas of environmental sciences, agriculture research, bio-defence, diagnostics, forensics, pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics.
DNA microarrays products are quickly becoming integral tools for both pre-clinical and clinical research. Furthermore, the power of microarray technologies is just beginning to be explored in the diagnostics arena, where they will be crucial for making therapeutic decisions.
"Expression Analysis has developed the expertise and infrastructure to provide our pharmacogenomic clients with significant value based on our knowledge of microarray-based technology and the dedication of our staff to providing high-quality results," said Steve McPhail, president and chief executive officer of Expression Analysis.
"This agreement advances our goal of supporting pharmacogenomic studies in clinical trials." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The importance of DNA microarrays in research for disease diagnosis, understanding drug interactions and determining drug candidates is expected to keep the market growing substantially.
In 2005, revenue for the total US DNA microarrays market totalled approximately $446.8m (€347.3) and is expected to rise to $532.1m by the end of 2012.
The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for 2005 to 2012 is estimated at 10.9 per cent.