President's Note
Asuragen, Inc. was formed following the March 2006 sale of the Research Products Division of Ambion, Inc. to the Applied Biosystems Group. Now, Asuragen is comprised of a key group of executives with prior industry experience from two leading global diagnostic companies along with a core group of former Ambion scientists with unparalleled expertise in microRNA (miRNA) applications and molecular technology development. These principal competencies, combined with a well-developed business infrastructure, have empowered Asuragen to provide cutting edge clinical diagnostic products.
Asuragen’s first full year of operations in 2007 focused on positioning the Molecular Diagnostics business for future growth and building our proprietary biomarker portfolio. In 2007, we launched nine strategic new products; we completed nine major custom products for our diagnostic and pharmaceutical customers. Our Signature® CF Expand Test, a multiplex PCR device for the detection of DNA mutations causing severe cystic fibrosis, was submitted for 510(k) clearance and is currently under review by the FDA.
Our Research and Development team made significant progress in advancing several novel microRNAs towards diagnostic and therapeutic applications and they continue to contribute to our long-term business strategy of building a large, focused patent portfolio. We continue to aggressively in-license patents and technology that we will need for commercializing new products. A number of our key R&D programs continue to be funded by the National Institute of Health’s SBIR/STTR program.
Our vision for the future is to create a leading molecular diagnostic company focused on oncology and genetic disease. Molecular Diagnostics is a fast growing market and will continue to play an important role in medical care by providing new approaches to disease diagnosis and management. Asuragen continues to make great progress towards establishing itself as the leading innovative molecular diagnostic company. We look forward to serving our customers and continuing to launch products that make a difference in healthcare.
Rolland Carlson - President
