The following is a wrap-up of news of interest
during the months of January and February 2000.
Analytical Instruments Stocks Rise Despite
Market Decline
ACD/I-Lab II Released
ACD Implements SIMPLE Web-Based System for Pfizer
International LIMS 2000 Conference Call for Papers
Beckman Coulter Demonstrates New Pinnacle CDS
at User Events in North America and Europe
LabSystems To Highlight Products at Pittcon 2000
Agilent Technologies Introduces New 8453 UV-Visible
Value System
Agilent Technologies Introduces New Benchtop GC/MS
System
Agilent Technologies 1100 Series LC Value System
Expanding to HPLC
PerkinElmer Launches E-Commerce Capability Through
SciQuest.com Strategic Alliance
PerkinElmer To Acquire Vivid Technologies
PerkinElmer and Genomic Solutions Announce Strategic
Alliance
Mantra Software and Advanced Instruments Announce
Distribution Agreement
Mantra Software Closes $7 Million Financing
LabWare LIMS Selected by Numerous Organizations
Analytical Instruments Stocks Rise Despite
Market Decline
The latest issue of Instrument Business Outlook (IBO) reports that three
of its stock indices used to track analytical instrument companies posted
gains in January despite a downturn in the Dow Jones Industrial Average,
the Nasdaq composite index, and the S&P 500 for the month. IBO's Laboratory
Instrumentation Stock Index rose by 23% over then ending value for December
1999 due to strong gains by life sciences companies such as Affymetrix and
Visible Genetics. Among the notable stock movements of companies in the
Laboratory Instrumentation Stock Index was Waters Corp. which posted a 30%
rise in its stock value, and Dionex, which experience
d a 30% decrease in the value of its stock for the month. IBO is published
twice monthly by Strategic Directions International. For more information,
visit http://www.strategic-directions.com
ACD/I-Lab II Released
Advanced Chemistry Development has released ACD/I-Lab II, which is the commercial
version of their Interactive Laboratory (I-Lab) product. I-Lab offers one-stop
shopping mall predictive capability. This new version adds capability in
terms of both predictive technologies and databases, as well as access to
ACD's industry standard tools via an Internet connection. It is possible
to pay-per-prediction or subscribe to one or more services for a defined
period of time with this new tool,. For more inforamtion, visit http://www2.acdlabs.com/ilab
ACD Implements SIMPLE Web-Based System for
Pfizer
Advanced Chemistry Development (ACD) has implemented the SIMPLE web-based
system at Pfizer's Analytical Research and Development Lab in Sandwich,
UK. SIMPLE is a system for Sample Information Management in a Process Laboratory
Environment. The application was developed for Pfizer to track, schedule,
and report analytical data generated from and during the development process.
It builds heavily upon the functionality developed for ACD/SLIMS. SLIMS
is a full-featured sample manager that allows desktop access to sample information,
chemical structures, and analytical spectra (NMR, MS, IR, UV-VIS). Each
aspect of the LIMS is intregrated to the appropriate application tool for
tectual reporting, molecular structure drawing, and spectral processing
and manipulation. SIMPLE extends the functionality of the system to include
the integration of automated capabilities as well as electronic notebook
functions. For more inforamtion, visit http://www2.acdlabs.com/ilab
International LIMS 2000 Conference Call for
Papers
A Call For Papers has been issued for the International LIMS 2000 Conference
to be held May 16-18, 2000, in Atlantic City, NJ. The theme of the conference
is "Running Into the New Millennium". According to Steve O'Connor,
LIMS2000 Program Chair, "Many of us have just worked our way clear
of the Millennium roll-over issues. We now find ourselves looking forward
and wondering what's next for the LIMS industry. As a result, the conference
will highlight questions such as: Will LIMS applications become a "throw
away" piece of laboratory equipment with a life span of only 5 years
or less? How will the new technologies such as MES, ERP, Object Oriented
Systems, three tier client server approaches, electronic signature and record
issues, etc effect the industry's future? Where and how does laboratory
data and information fit into the corporations data warehousing efforts,
or does it? Papers addressing any of the issues listed above are sought
for presentation at the LIMS2000 Conference and Exposition. Abstracts should
be E-mailed to Steve O'Connor, Oconnosg@ahp.com.
Authors are advised that all presentations will be required in PowerPoint
format and that a copy of the presentation will be required for inclusion
in the conference CD-ROM. Abstracts must be received no later than April
1, 2000. For details about the LIMS 2000 Conference, visit http://www.lims2000.org
or contact The LIMS Institute, 1416 Severn Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.
E-mail: lims@juno.com.
Beckman Coulter Demonstrates New Pinnacle CDS
at User Events in North America and Europe
The Laboratory Automation Operations (LAO) of Beckman Copulter recently
hosted its annual User Group Meeting in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and a
series of User Information Days throughout Europe. Over 200 attendees worldwide
were given a hands-on demonstration of Beckman Coulter's new Pinnalcle client/server
chromatography data system (CDS) which was specially designed for ease of
use. The company also delivered the latest information and product updates
to their LIMS. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.beckmancoulter.com
LabSystems To Highlight Products at Pittcon
2000
LabSystems have announced that it will make a splash at the upciming PittCon
2000 conference and exposition in New Orleans with a booth focusing on new
products for the analytical chemist. Their booth, number 7237, will highlight
the LabSystems 2000 rang eof rproducts for the first time in a public forum.
The LabSystems 2000 range of automation solutions offers new improvements
both in laboratory productivity and in connectivity. For additional details,
contact LabSystems at 800-719-1853 or visit their web site at http://www.labsystems.com
Agilent Technologies 1100 Series LC Value
System Expanding to HPLC
Agilent Technologies (formerly Hewlett-Packard) has announced an economical,
easy-to-use system for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The
Agilent 1100 Series LC value system has a small footprint, an easy-to-use
manual injector with a long-life Rheodyne seven-port sample injection valve,
state-of-the-art optics, a variable wavelength detector, and an isocratic
pump with a wide flow range of up to 10ml/min. For additional details, visit
Agilent at http://www.agilent.com
Agilent Technologies Introduces New Benchtop
GC/MS System
Agilent Technologies has introduced the Agilent 5973 Network Mass Selective
Detector (MSD) and MSD Productivity ChemStation software. Combined with
Agilent's gas chromatographs (GCs), the MSD and software form a powerful,
sensitive, and highly versatile gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS)
system for chemical analysis. The 5973 Network MSD maintains the high performance
standards of its predecessor and delivers new capabilities at comparable
prices. For additional details, visit Agilent at http://www.agilent.com
Agilent Technologies Introduces New 8453 UV-Visible
Value System
Agilent Technologies has introduced an economical, easy-to-use system for
UV-visible spectroscopy that is based on the Agilent 8453 spectrophotometer
with dedicated Windows-based software running on a PC. The system components
have been chosen to provide an optimum price/performance configuration for
a single-instrument workplace, making it ideally suited for performing general
purpose spectroscopy tasks in chemical, biochemical, or environmental labs.
Prices start at $12,500. For additional details, visit Agilent at http://www.agilent.com
PerkinElmer Launches E-Commerce Capability
Through SciQuest.com Strategic Alliance
PE Biosystems has announced a strategic alliance with SciQuest.com Inc,
an Internet marketplace for scientific products and instruments, which will
feature PerkinElmer instruments and Life Sciences products on the SciQuest
web site. With this new alliance, PerkinElmer now offers its customers an
e-commerce channel to simplify the purchasing process. PerkinElmer customers
will have access to expanded product options, all with integrated enterprse
procurement and workflow systems, which raduce total procurement costs.
For additional details, visit their web site at www.perkinelmer.com.
PerkinElmer To Acquire Vivid Technologies
PerkinElmer has received notice that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has ended its review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements
Act of the company's previously announced acquisition of Vivid Technologies,
thus permitting the transaction to proceed on schedule. The company plans
to consolidate Vivid with its Astrophysics security systems business to
take advantage of complementary technologies and generate significant cost
synergies in the security systemss and non-destructive testing businesses.
Shareholders will vote on the proposed merger on January 13 during a special
meeting. For additional details, visit their web site at www.perkinelmer.com.
PerkinElmer and Genomic Solutions Announce
Strategic Alliance
PerkinElmer, Inc., a leading provider of high-throughput screening tools
for drug discovery, and Genomic Solutions, Inc. a privately-held, advanced
biochip and proteomic systems provider, have announced a global strategic
alliance encompassing sales, distribution, and technology cooperative agreements.
PerkinElmer will also make an equity investment in Genomic Solutions, and
will have the option to acquire control of the company. For additional details,
visit their web site at www.perkinelmer.com.
Mantra Software and Advanced Instruments Announce
Distribution Agreement
Mantra Software, developer of NuGenesis Scientific Data Management Systems
(SDMS), has announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement
with Advanced Instruments of San Juan, Peruto Rico. Advanced Instruments
will represent and resell Mantra Software's NuGenesis proucts in Puerto
Rico, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Advanced Instruments distributes and services
a variety of sciuentific laboratory instruyments to the pharmaceutical,
government and chemical industries. For details, contact Mantra Software
at http://www.mantrasoft.com
Mantra Software Closes $7 Million Financing
Mantra Software Corporation, a developer of information management software
for the science-based industries, has announced the completion of a second
round of venture funding. Led by BancBostoin VCentures of Boston, Ma, the
$5 Million financing package also includes investments form Highland Capital
of Boston, MA, Brentwood Venture Capital of Menlo Park, CA, and St. Paul
Venture Capital of St. Paul, MN. Lighthouse Capital Partners of Greenbrae,
CA provided an additional $2 Million of dept financing. Mantra also announced
that BancBoston Ventures Vice President JJean George will join the company';s
Board of Directos. Ms. George works extensively with companies in the healthcare
information technology industries. The second round of financing will be
used to support the continued expansion of their NuGenesis suite of scientific
dat management system products within the pahrmaceutical maarketplace and
for the company's entry into other vertical industries. For details, contact
Mantra Software at http://www.mantrasoft.com
LabWare LIMS Selected by Numerous Organizations
Numerous organizations have recently selected LabWare LIMS for their laboratories.
Ethicon, Inc., a leading manufacturer of sutures and related wound closure
devices with more than 3,500 different product codes, will deploy LabWare
LIMS at their Somerville, NJ facility. FINA's styrene and polystyrene plant,
a joint venture with GE Petrochemicals at Carville, Louisiana, and one of
the largest single-site styrene production facilities in the world, is the
latest FINA plant to implement LabWare LIMS. ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd. have
selected LabWare LIMS for their API facility in Taiwan.
Chiron Vaccines has selected LabWare LIMS for their Quality Control Departments
at both Chiron Behring Marburg, Germany and Siena, Italy. LabWare LIMS will
replace the current information management system at the Marburg site and
will be introduced at Siena to allow the company to manage the QC/QA operations
in compliance with the requirements of the health authorities and GMP in
a more uniform manner. Both sites will be integrated to their SAP R/3 ERP
System.
Nestlé has selected LabWare LIMS to replace their current information
management system in their laboratories at Nestlé Longbenton. LabWare
LIMS will be installed in the factory laboratories with the aim of increasing
information availability through utilisation of advanced reporting, trending
and data analysis capabilities. Laboratory Work Flow enhancements are planned
via improved mechanisms for data entry and more relevant data capture. The
total solution will include Work Flow support for Final Products, Raw Materials,
Factory Hygiene samples, Reference Material samples, R&D activities
and Shelf Life Studies. Longer term, the facility to integrate with the
SAP ERP system is also being planned.
Rhône-Poulenc Rorer has selected LabWare LIMS to implement at their
pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Holmes Chapel, UK. LabWare LIMS
will be fully integrated with laboratory instrumentation, and the BPCS MRP
system. This will then form a key part of an integrated manufacturing solution
to streamline processes, and facilitate the dynamic flow of quality information
throughout the business.
GE Plastics has selected LabWare LIMS to provide a global information system
for their worldwide facilities. LabWare LIMS in conjunction with a formulations
management system will provide a complete integrated worldwide system handling
both Research and Development and Quality Control needs. GE Plastics is
utilizing the Design for Six Sigma Process (DFSS) in the implementation
of LabWare LIMS. The project, driven from the US, will involve sites in
the US, Asia and Europe. For additional details, visit http://www.labware.com