Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Life Technologies, Gen-Probe, Roche, Becton Dickinson and Abbott Labs - Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 21, 2010 – Zacks.com Analyst Blog features: Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE), Gen-Probe Inc (GPRO), Roche (RHHBY), Becton Dickinson (BDX) and Abbott Labs (ABT).

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Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Life Targets Stem-Cell Research

Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) is aiming big in the field of stem cell research. The company presented its offering of stem cell research at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).

Over the past 5 years, Life has invested in various collaborations and partnership programs to strengthen its offer of stem cell products. The company recently launched GIBCO Cell Therapy Systems (CTS) to support cell therapy applications.

We are pleased to note that The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California , San Diego and Life initiated studies to develop cell transplant therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Successful development of a therapy is significant as current treatment option available for the disease, which affects 30,000 people in the US , is limited.

As of the end of 2009, Life operated four divisions - Molecular Biology Systems (MBS), Genetic Systems (GS), Cell Systems (CS) and Mass Spectrometry (MS).

The CS division includes all product lines used in the study of cell function, including cell culture media and sera, stem cells and related tools, cellular imaging products, antibodies, drug discovery services, and cell therapy related products. Life derived 24% of its total revenue from the CS division ($213.8 million) during the first quarter of 2010.

Gen-Probe Invests in PacBio

Diagnostic product maker Gen-Probe Inc (GPRO) has made a $50 million strategic investment in privately-held DNA sequencing firm Pacific Biosciences Inc (PacBio). The companies will collaborate on developing products based on their proprietary technologies.

Per the deal, the companies will combine their efforts to develop new clinical diagnostic systems, leveraging PacBio's Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) DNA sequencing technology platform and Gen-Probe's diagnostic expertise. They will initially collaborate for up to 30 months with the goal of building a long-term relationship and improving diagnostic capabilities. Moreover, the companies will buy each other's products on preferred terms of trade.

California-based Gen-Probe has been a pioneer in the commercial and scientific development of nucleic acid testing (NAT) for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. The company sells its products in the clinical diagnostic as well as blood screening markets. Gen-Probe is a market leader in domestic gonorrhea and chlamydia testing with its PACE and APTIMA assay product lines.

Gen-Probe faces stiff competition from larger, more established firms in the molecular diagnostic industry such as Roche (RHHBY), Becton Dickinson (BDX) and Abbott Labs (ABT).

Gen-Probe is a leading pure-play molecular diagnostics company. The company's molecular diagnostic tests and instruments are designed to improve results and increase laboratory operating efficiency. Gen-Probe's clinical diagnostics business performed strongly in the last quarter with revenues growing nearly 30% year over year.

Molecular testing enables real-time detection of the primary cause of a disease at a molecular level. Gen-Probe is well positioned to benefit from the ongoing market shift from traditional diagnostic methods (such as antibody-based assays) toward molecular testing, which offers greater precision and sensitivity in detecting biological events.

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