Carl Zeiss MicroImaging Strengthens Activities in the Clinical Field


Equipment Business Acquired from Clarient

Aliso Viejo, CA (USA), Jena (Germany), 8 March 2007. Carl Zeiss MicroImaging has acquired the equipment business of the US Company Clarient and is therefore strengthening its commitment in the promising field of clinical cancer diagnostics and cancer research. With growing life expectation in the population, the subject of cancer, its diagnosis and treatment is now playing an increasingly important role. The joint use of microscopic techniques and molecular-biological methods is increasing. In every diagnosis of breast cancer, for example, it is now possible to determine the aggressiveness of the tumor and the most suitable therapy.

Clarient's systems save the microscopic image of a tissue section in a digital form. They also support the doctor in the diagnostic process by automatically quantifying novel markers known as biomarkers - specific cell components (usually proteins) which are found in increased amounts in the blood if a disease (e.g. cancer) is present. In addition, the doctor can discuss the digitized image with colleagues via the internet and therefore obtain a second opinion about the diagnosis. The ACIS III System from Clarient consists of an automated microscope and a computer featuring special image evaluation software. In the specialist medical community, these systems are currently seen as the gold standard for tissue-based cancer diagnosis.

The company acquired by Carl Zeiss MicroImaging will remain in its Aliso Viejo location near Los Angeles and will be integrated into the clinical microscopy activities which are headquartered in Jena in Germany. "With the acquisition, Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH is once again underscoring its strategy of actively investing in innovative technologies and consistently driving forward its ongoing growth," comments President and CEO Dr. Ulrich Simon.

In the marketing of the clinical version of the system, Carl Zeiss MicroImaging is collaborating with the Danish diagnostics company Dako, the leading manufacturer of reagents for tissue-based cancer diagnosis. Dako has an excellent reputation in pathology - an ideal foundation for the Carl Zeiss Microscopy Group to achieve a stronger presence in the clinical diagnostics market.

Carl Zeiss AG
Carl Zeiss is a leading international group of companies operating worldwide in the optical and opto-electronic industry. In fiscal year 2005/06 (ended 30 September), the Carl Zeiss Group, which is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, generated sales totaling EUR 2,433 million. The Carl Zeiss Group has approximately 11,250 employees, including about 3,400 outside Germany. Further information is available at http://www.zeiss.de/press.

Clarient
Clarient combines innovative technologies with world class expertise to assess and characterize cancer. Clarient's mission is to provide technologies, services and the critical information to improve the quality and reduce the cost of patient care as well as accelerating the drug development process. The Company's principal customers include pathologists, oncologists, hospitals and biopharmaceutical companies.

The Company was formed in 1996 to develop and market the ACIS(R) Automated Cellular Imaging System, an important advance in slide-based testing. The rise of individualized medicine as the new direction in oncology led the company in 2004 to expand its business model to provide the full range of leading diagnostic technologies such as flow cytometry and molecular testing in-house, creating a state-of-the-art commercial cancer laboratory and providing the most advanced oncology testing and drug development services available. Clarient is a Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. partner company. For more information, visit www.clarientinc.com.

All Topics