Jan 31 2008
Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. today announced the shipment of the 500th IVIS(R) molecular imaging system during the fourth quarter of 2007. Introduced in 2000, the IVIS molecular imaging system enables researchers to uniquely perform critical, noninvasive pre-clinical biological drug discovery and development research on small living mammals. The sale of the 500th IVIS system illustrates the growing demand for in vivo imaging to speed the drug discovery and development process without compromising accuracy and safety.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while the number of investigational new drug (IND) applications has climbed throughout the last decade, the number of approved applications has declined. This underscores the increasing importance of early stage translational research efforts which are facilitated by IVIS systems. The molecular insight into living mammals that IVIS systems provide enables researchers to identify disease pathways, observe mechanisms of action and understand drug compound distribution and efficacy. Today, IVIS systems are widely utilized in the preclinical arena to create a bridge between in vitro and in vivo research and help researchers predict outcomes in humans.
"Caliper's IVIS systems continue to significantly impact the pharmaceutical industry's ability to bring new drugs to market, particularly in the area of cancer therapies," said Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO, Caliper Life Sciences. "We also see a sharp increase in the use of our IVIS imaging technology in therapeutic areas such as central nervous system (CNS), infectious and metabolic disease, and inflammation and we are continuing to expand our offerings to meet the demands of a broad market with specialized needs."
Caliper placed 51 IVIS systems during the fourth quarter of 2007 increasing the total IVIS installed base to 542 units and representing nearly $100 million of sales since the product's inception. Fourth quarter IVIS revenue growth was 42% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2006. The company estimates that approximately 25% of the IVIS units placed by its sales force in the fourth quarter will be used primarily in infectious disease research.
Caliper's IVIS offerings serve a broad array of therapeutic areas. In addition to the world's leading line of imaging instruments, Caliper also provides software, reagents, cell lines, animal models, application services and noninvasive imaging patent licenses to ensure that academic and commercial customers worldwide are able to quickly and effectively benefit from the company's technology.