Overview

Transgenomic provides tools enabling researchers to discover and understand variations in the human genome with an emphasis on accelerating and improving drug development and diagnostics.

Its principal technology is the WAVE System, which can detect genetic mutations without previous knowledge of their existence or position. As a result, the WAVE System provides a means of performing the experiments necessary to identify mutations and to correlate the relationships between mutations and diseases. Since its introduction in late 1997, the WAVE System has been used by academic and industry research institutions worldwide.

The company's WAVE System 2100A is designed for rapid analysis of SNPs. The WAVE System 3500A is optimized for laboratories with increased sample throughput requirements by integrating the WAVE Accelerator to decrease analysis cycle time. The WAVE System 3500HT includes an integrated WAVE Accelerator, a micro-volume buffer mixing system and a specifically formulated separation cartridge, which reduce analysis cycle times.

The Transgenomic WAVE Oligo System is fully automated for rapid analysis and purification of synthetic oligonucleotides by using ion-pairing reversed phase HPLC (IP RP HPLC) with proprietary Transgenomic OLIGOSep Cartridge resins under fully denaturing conditions. The Transgenomic WAVE Fragment Collector Model FCW 200 fully automates the purification of nucleic acids with the WAVE Nucleic Acid Fragment Analysis Systems.

Transgenomic went public in 2001. The company acquired the specialty chemicals company Annovis Inc. for $500,000 in cash and common stock worth about $18.9 million.

Partners

Transgenomics has a services provider agreement with the privately held functional genomics company GenOdyssee SA, of Paris. Under the agreement, Transgenomic will market and sell nucleic acid analysis services that will be performed by GenOdyssee Genetics. Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., has also placed multiple orders for the synthetic nucleic acid material known as phosphoramidites from Transgenomics. Other customers include Genzyme Corp. and Synthetic Genetics.