Gen-Probe Incorporated (NASDAQ: GPRO) is a global leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of rapid, accurate and cost-effective nucleic acid tests (NATs) used primarily to diagnose human diseases and screen donated human blood. NATs harness the power of biotechnology to detect diseases more rapidly and/or accurately than older testing methods, and have therefore become the fastest-growing segment of the in vitro diagnostics industry.
Gen-Probe markets a broad portfolio of products that use the Company's patented technologies to detect infectious microorganisms, including those causing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis, strep throat, pneumonia and fungal infections. Gen-Probe's key clinical diagnostics products include the APTIMA COMBO 2® and PACE® assays, which are used to detect the common STDs Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
In blood screening, Gen-Probe developed and manufactures the PROCLEIX® assay, which is used to detect HIV-1 and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in donated human blood; the PROCLEIX ULTRIO® assay, which detects the hepatitis B virus in addition to HIV-1 and HCV; and the PROCLEIX WNV (West Nile virus) assay, which has intercepted more than 1,500 WNV-infected blood donations since testing began in 2003. Gen-Probe's blood screening products are marketed worldwide by Chiron, a business unit of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc.
Gen-Probe also has a robust development pipeline. For example, the Company is developing NATs to detect prostate cancer, drug-resistant hospital infections, and human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer. In addition, En-Probe is working with General Electric and Millipore to develop NATs that detect microorganisms that commonly contaminate industrial production processes.
Several of Gen-Probe's current and future molecular diagnostic tests can be performed on the Company's TIGRIS® instrument, the only fully automated, high-throughput NAT system for diagnostics and blood screening.
Gen-Probe is headquartered in San Diego and employs approximately 1,000 people. For more information, go to www.gen-probe.com.
