Agilent Technologies Secures Patent for Market-Leading CGH Assays

  Agilent Technologies Secures Patent for Market-Leading CGH Assays

      High-Resolution Copy Number Analysis Empowers Clinical Researchers

Business Wire

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- August 20, 2012

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that it was awarded a
significant patent for comparative genomic hybridization methods. CGH methods
help researchers study genetics and cancer in both basic and clinical
research.

The U.S. patent (No. 8,232,055) has claims for measuring copy number changes
in genomic DNA, covering both one-color and two-color assays using
oligonucleotide probes and samples with high-sequence complexity, such as
human genomic DNA samples.

Agilent’s copy number method, commercially introduced in 2005, uses long
oligonucleotide probes, enabling high specificity and sensitivity. For
example, samples containing as low as 8 percent abnormal cells may be
confidently analyzed with Agilent’s copy number method.

The method was originally developed to improve upon older copy number assays
that use long genomic fragments such as bacterial artificial chromosomes.
(BACs often contain repetitive regions.) The method also improves upon other
oligonucleotide array assays, which depend on sample preparation methods that
remove significant portions of the genomic DNA content. Agilent’s
higher-resolution platform allows users to detect much smaller genomic
aberrations throughout complex genomes.

“We are excited by the latest intellectual property supporting our
market-leading CGH array,” said Robert Schueren, Agilent vice president,
Genomics. “This reflects Agilent’s continued investment in and dedication to
the cytogenetics clinical research space.”

About Agilent in Genomics

Agilent Technologies Inc. is a global leader in target enrichment for
next-generation sequencing and genomic microarrays. The Agilent SureSelect and
HaloPlex target enrichment systems enable researchers to easily choose which
segments of a genome to sequence, avoiding the time and expense needed to
sequence the entire genome. With its same day sample-to-sequencer workflow,
the HaloPlex system is well suited for next-gen desktop sequencers, whereas
the SureSelect system’s ability to accurately capture whole exomes and whole
methylomes in a single reaction pairs well with high-throughput sequencing
systems. These are just two products arising from Agilent’s manufacturing
expertise in synthesizing complex custom mixtures of long oligonucleotides.
Additional product lines built on this core technology include microarrays for
genome-wide measurement of gene expression and for comparative genomic
hybridization, as well as the SureFISH reagents, a highly specific and
sensitive product line for oligonucleotide fluorescent in situ hybridization
(FISH). In addition to oligonucleotide-based products, Agilent offers its
Bioanalyzer microfluidic instruments to measure sample quality and a full set
of reagents, hardware, methods and bioinformatics software for genomic
experiments.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company
and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics,
electronics and communications. The company’s 20,000 employees serve customers
in more than 100 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $6.6 billion in fiscal
2011. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive news
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Contact:

Agilent Technologies Inc.
Susan Berg, +1-408-553-7093
susan_berg1@agilent.com