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According to Xceed's President and CEO, David Deems, the StrategicCollaborator program is a mutually beneficial agreement with a high-profileinstitution or investigator designed to propel the partners' clinicalresearch, while providing Xceed with additional real-world clinical-laboratoryexperience and access to critical research results. The program is an integralpart of the company's strategy to add assays to its pipeline of condition- orpathway-specific Signature Chips that will be available both as catalogproducts and through Xceed's Expression Services. Through the program, Xceedwill provide the Ziplex(R) System or Expression Services to the collaboratorat no or low cost in return for a commitment for future publication, access tobiomarker content, or assistance with product development or services.
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"The Center for Molecular Medicine, under the leadership of Daniel H.Farkas, PhD, HCLD, is an ideal partner for Xceed," said Deems. "Dr. Farkas andhis team will undertake a number of projects as part of our agreement,including the investigation and development of cancer diagnostics and improvedsample-preparation methods." Internationally renowned for his work inmolecular diagnostics, Dr. Farkas joined the CMM as Executive Director inDecember 2006. His peers voted him the recipient of the Association forMolecular Pathology Leadership Award winner for 2007.
Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Farkas said, "We are very pleased tobe supporting Xceed's efforts to bring its clinical laboratory-friendly ZiplexSystem to the marketplace. The intersection of patient care and businessrepresented by our international collaboration is central to the mission ofthe Center for Molecular Medicine. As a CLIA-certified, CAP-accreditedlaboratory, the CMM will provide Xceed the opportunity to bring new array-based tests to the clinical community. The ease of use and initial datagenerated by the Ziplex System have been impressive. As translational medicinemoves from the research laboratory to the clinic, technology that isaffordable, reliable, and automated will be critical. We believe the ZiplexSystem is uniquely positioned to fulfill this need. The resulting benefit topatients is an excellent example of how genomic medicine will move forward inthe 21st century."
Xceed has already committed to several other institutions under itsStrategic Collaborator program and will be installing the Ziplex System atadditional sites before year-end. The company's goal is to have 10 StrategicCollaborator agreements in North America by the second quarter of 2008.
About Xceed Molecular
Xceed's vision is to advance molecular diagnostics by successfullytranslating novel multiplex tests into routine clinical practice and to createrobust diagnostic solutions to improve disease outcomes. Our products comprisethe Ziplex(R) System for automated gene-expression analysis (available in theUS and Canada for research use only), gene expression services, and pre-configured arrays. Xceed is also developing multiplexed genomic tests for theZiplex platform, both internally and with strategic partners. Xceed's R&D andmanufacturing are headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with executive offices inWellesley, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.XceedMolecular.com.
About the Center for Molecular Medicine
The Center for Molecular Medicine, a joint venture between Grand Rapids,Michigan-based Spectrum Health and Van Andel Institute (VAI), brings WestMichigan a cutting-edge laboratory that will aid in early diagnoses ande
