Affymetrix Announces Research Collaboration With Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR) in South Africa

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) today announced a research and service collaboration with the Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR) in South Africa. CPGR will provide gene expression and Axiom genotyping services to African researchers using GeneTitan® Multi-Channel (MC) Instrument. The Affymetrix and CPGR partnership aims to enable high-throughput genomics research and personalized medicine projects across Africa.

The CPGR is a nonprofit organization funded by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), which is based on an initiative by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) whose goal is to develop the bio-economy in South Africa. According to Dr Reinhard Hiller, Managing Director of the CPGR, “The high throughput capability of GeneTitan^® MC Instrument combined with customizable Axiom^® Genotyping Arrays is ideal for meeting the needs of scientists in Africa whose research projects range from small pilot to large-scale discovery to focused validation studies. GeneTitan^® MC Instrument expands our genomics service capabilities and will further enable CPGR to support cutting-edge translational research in Africa. Further, it allows discovery and validation of disease-related biomarkers economically – even when searching for very rare genetic variants. We expect to progress personalized medicine studies that aim to discover genetic markers specific in the African population for better diagnosis and drug treatment.”

It is a well-known fact that genetic variability of African populations is far greater than in other regions in the world. This is particularly important when considering that African populations are underrepresented in most studies on hereditary diseases and pharmacogenomics. Applying these types of genomic discoveries to clinical practices has the potential to change health and wellness of African populations.

“We are excited to partner with CPGR and see this as a significant opportunity to ensure that African populations are represented in genomics research studies leading to personalized therapies. Affymetrix is leading the way in population optimized genotyping analysis and was the first to create a genotyping array with content derived specifically from African populations,” said Chris Barbazette, VP of Commercial Operations, International Markets at Affymetrix.

Products mentioned in this release are for research use only. Not for diagnostic procedures.

PLEASE NOTE: Affymetrix^®, the Affymetrix logo, Axiom^®, GeneChip^®, GeneTitan^®, QuantiGene^®, SensationPlus^TM, and all other trademarks are the property of Affymetrix, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About the CPGR

The CPGR is a specialist not-for-profit contract research organization established in South Africa through funding by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to provide support and services to the life science and biotech community. It is based on an initiative by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to boost the development of a bio-economy in South Africa. The CPGR combines state-of-the-art information rich genomic and proteomic ('omics') technologies with bio-computational pipelines, and biological models, to create unique solutions in the human health and the agri-biotech sectors. Please visit www.cpgr.org.za for more information or contact Dr Reinhard Hiller at [e-mail].

About Affymetrix

Affymetrix technologies are used by the world's top pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government, and nonprofit research institutes. More than 26,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published citing the technologies. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and has manufacturing facilities in Santa Clara, San Diego, Cleveland, Ohio, Singapore, and Austria. The company has about 1,180 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit www.affymetrix.com.

Forward-looking statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies" or the like. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected. These and other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and other SEC reports for subsequent quarterly periods.