Stratagene And Merck Subsidiary, Rosetta Inpharmatics, Enter Into Joint Development And License Agreement

Companies Will Develop RNA Purification System for Use in Molecular Diagnostics and Research Applications

La Jolla, CA - Stratagene Corporation, a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialized life science research and diagnostics products, announced that it has entered into a joint development and license agreement with Rosetta Inpharmatics LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., to create an automated solution for the isolation of nucleic acids from a variety of clinical samples. Nucleic acid purification allows researchers to separate RNA contained in biological samples. Clinicians and researchers can use the purified RNA to perform gene expression analysis and other functions within molecular diagnostics.

Under the terms of the agreement, Stratagene and Rosetta will jointly develop a proprietary instrument and a single-use consumable that will be manufactured and commercialized by Stratagene. These products will be sold to Stratagene's current customer base and companies engaged in pharmacogenomics. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This agreement with Rosetta Inpharmatics is a significant opportunity for Stratagene and marks another milestone in our molecular diagnostics strategy," said Joseph A. Sorge, MD, President and CEO of Stratagene. "We believe we have a unique opportunity to create and introduce a differentiated product that will automate the RNA purification process and provide consistent, reproducible results. These two characteristics are critical capabilities in gene expression analysis."

SOURCE: Stratagene Corporation