Ambry Genetics Announces Next Generation Sequencing Services for Support of Pharmacogenomics Research

Aliso Viejo, CA, April 22, 2008 – Ambry Genetics is pleased to announce the acquisition of an Illumina Genome Analyzer. This technology has the capabilities to greatly reduce time and costs of gene sequencing. This tool will allow Ambry to capitalize on its leadership in clinical genetic testing with entry into the growing field of Pharmacogenomics Research Support.

While Pharmacogenomics Research Support has had a few success stories, the true potential is still untapped. The Illumina Genome Analyzer has made this science more cost effective with quicker turn around times for modern pharmaceutical demands. Illumina is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of next-generation life-science tools and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and biological function. Most companies are just beginning to invest in the R & D and technology to support this field, while Ambry has been involved in genetics for nearly a decade.

Ambry’s CEO, Charles Dunlop, said “We’ve been running research samples on this machine with our new probe capture technology and the results have been amazing. To date we’ve run assays with hundreds of genes on the probe capture technology; with new bioinformatics software, SNP annotation and exon identification, we’ve been able to find many novel mutations. We are now expanding the types of candidate gene lists we’re assaying to suit various research interests. The power of this tool will take genetic research to the next level.”