Health
Bruker Daltonik GmbH, PANATecs GmbH and the University of Goettingen Announce a Development Cooperation for New Molecular Diagnostic Assays for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source: Bruker Daltonik GmbH
Dec 20, 2005, 08:00

BREMEN, Tuebingen and GOETTINGEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Dec. 20, 2005--Bruker Daltonik GmbH, the University of Goettingen and German biotech company PANATecs GmbH today announced a new development collaboration in protein biomarker discovery and molecular diagnostics research based on mass spectrometry. PANATecs will apply Bruker Daltonics` CLINPROT(TM) tools for biomarker discovery, profiling and identification in the field of rheumatoid arthritis research and development.

In the joint project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, new tests for the molecular diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis are expected to be developed by a combination of immunological and biochemical techniques with a mass spectrometry read-out. In addition, PANATecs will offer services for biomarker identification using Bruker Daltonics` mass spectrometry equipment.

Dr. Thomas Flad, Managing Director of PANATecs, stated: ''We are very pleased that Bruker Daltonics is a partner who is committed to molecular diagnostics research, and who has also the necessary depth and advanced technology in mass spectrometry to obtain high quality data from the valuable sample collections of our company and our clinical partners. The versatile sample preparation with CLINPROT beads and streamlined data interpretation with ClinProTools(TM)software, together with superior mass spectrometry technology, makes Bruker Daltonics our ideal partner in the field of biomarker analysis.''

Dr. Wolfgang Pusch, Director of Clinical Proteomics and Biomarker Analysis Products of Bruker Daltonik GmbH, commented: ''It is an important milestone in our efforts in clinical proteomics research that PANATecs, as a leading biotech company dedicated to developing new molecular diagnostics assays based on mass spectrometry, has made this strategic decision for our CLINPROT solution. With the high clinical capabilities of PANATecs and the Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology at the Faculty of Medicine in Goettingen, we see a good chance for future CLINPROT molecular diagnostics of rheumatoid arthritis, or even other autoimmune diseases.''

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Mueller, Director of the Cooperative Center for Rheumatology, University of Goettingen, concluded: ''The complementary xperience which the different partners contribute makes this three-party cooperation very promising. While the Center for Rheumatology will contribute the clinical expertise and access to a large number of clinically well characterized patient samples, PANATecs has significant experience concerning immunological and biochemical procedures necessary to gain access to the respective biomarker molecules. This setup is complemented by Bruker Daltonics as an advanced mass spectrometry partner with a proven commitment to clinical research.''


ABOUT BRUKER BIOSCIENCES CORPORATION (NASDAQ: BRKR)

Bruker BioSciences Corporation, headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, is the publicly traded parent company of Bruker Daltonics Inc. and Bruker AXS Inc. Bruker AXS is a leading developer and provider of life science and advanced materials research tools based on x-ray technology. Bruker Daltonics is a leading developer and provider of innovative life science tools based on mass spectrometry. For more information, please visit www.bruker-biosciences.com


ABOUT PANATecs

PANATecs GmbH was founded in 2004 as a spin-off from the University of Tuebingen. The company combines a highly experienced staff of mass spectrometrists, peptide chemists, structural biologists, and immunologists with a modern core facility. PANATecs offers services in biomarker discovery, identification and validation in the field of clinical proteomics and develops novel tools for the specific enrichment and detection of disease-related proteins. In December 2005 PANATecs founded the Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, thus uniting clinical expertise with bioanalytical know-how to provide an optimal environment for clinical and protein sample analysis. For more information, please visit www.panatecs.com


ABOUT THE COOPERATIVE CENTER OF RHEUMATOLOGY

The Cooperative Center of Rheumatology, located in the Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Georg-August-University Goettingen, is a member of the German Society of Rheumatology. A large number of different departments and clinics as well as ambulatory physicians collaborate in this Center. The Cooperative Center of Rheumatology takes care of more than one million people in the region and has all modern facilities to diagnose and treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis and associated diseases.
Furthermore, the Center has different research programs to detect and investigate the early onset of rheumatoid arthritis.


CAUTIONARY STATEMENT OF BRUKER BIOSCIENCES

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company`s reorganization strategies, integration risks, failure of conditions, technological approaches, product development, market acceptance, cost and pricing of the Company`s products, changes in governmental regulations, capital spending and government funding policies, FDA and other regulatory approvals to the extent applicable, competition, the intellectual property of others, patent protection and litigation. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including, without limitation, our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.


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