• Affymetrix (Santa Clara, California) reported commercial launch of its complete Cytogenetic solution, which it says combines the high-density SNP Array 6.0 with a simple assay and intuitive software. The microarray-based solution provides cytogenetic researchers with an efficient and accurate method of detecting chromosomal abnormalities associated with congenital diseases such as autism and mental retardation. The solution was designed to discover more causative aberrations across the entire genome compared to other microarray platforms and karyotyping techniques. The solution delivers copy number and loss of heterozygosity information, which enables research scientists to identify uniparental disomies, genetic abnormalities that are frequent in many congenital diseases.

• Innocoll (Ashburn, Virginia) said that the second of a series of planned Phase 2 clinical trials sponsored by its subsidiary, Innocoll Technologies, to investigate CollaRx Bupivacaine Surgical Implant for the management of post-operative pain, has begun dosing. The implant is a biodegradable and bioresorbable matrix of purified fibrillar collagen impregnated with the local anesthetic, bupivacaine, formulated using Innocoll’s CollaRx sponge technology. It is under development in the U.S. and Europe for the management of post-operative pain following moderate/major abdominal, gynecological, abdominal, thoracic, and orthopedic surgeries. Innocoll’s implant is intended to provide pain control directly at the surgical site and thus reduce the level of additional analgesia required following surgery. The implant can be placed directly into the surgical cavity and at different layers within the wound, enabling localized treatment of both the incisional and deep, visceral pain components associated with moderate and major surgery.