Biacore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Biacore is a life science products company, based in Sweden specializing in measuring protein-protein interaction and binding affinity. The technology is based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), an optical phenomenon that enables detection of unlabeled interactants in real time. The SPR-based biosensors can be used in determination of active concentration, screening and characterization in terms of both affinity and kinetics.
Biacore was founded in 1984 under the name of Pharmacia Biosensor AB after the merger of Linköping Institute of Technology and the Swedish National Defense Research Institute (FOA), now renamed to Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) [1]. In 1996 the company changed its name to Biacore AB Corporation. In June 2006 GE Healthcare acquired Biacore for $390 million.
BIAcore's competition includes Attana AB (a Stockholm based biotechnology firm), Bio-Rad Laboratories' ProteOn XPR36 Protein Interaction Array System (based in Hercules, CA) and Fortebio's Octet QK instrument (based in Menlo Park, CA).
[edit] History
1984 Know-how and expertise from the former Pharmacia, the Linköping Institute of Technology, and the Swedish National Defense Research Institute (FOA), were brought together to create Pharmacia Biosensor AB. Approximately MSEK 550 was invested in the early stage development of Biacore systems and the technology on which it is based.
1989–1990 The initial research phase was concluded with the development of the fundamentals of Biacore's Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based technology, comprising surface chemistry, flow systems and optical detection methods. Development of the first commercial product began immediately, producing BIAcore, the world's first SPR-based analytical instrument for studying biomolecular interactions. BIAcore was launched in the fall of 1990.
1992 A significant restructuring was undertaken to focus Biacore's business and improve its market orientation. This was achieved by concentrating commercial and product development activities on basic and applied life science research.
1995 Three new instrument systems were launched: BIAlite, Biacore 1000, and Biacore 2000. During the course of these three years the new life science focus enabled the business to evolve into a largely independent commercial enterprise, which was able to show a profit for the first time in 1994. By 1995, as a result of its commercial success, Biacore was able to begin developing and executing strategies for enhanced expansion based on selective acquisitions in addition to its own organic growth.
1999 Biacore continued to build on its highly successful platform launching Biacore X, a flexible semi-automated system and Biacore 3000, the most automated, sensitive and flexible research system. The launch of Biacore Q and dedicated vitamin, and food safety analysis kits saw Biacore enter a new market sector for food quality analysis. Biacore maintains a portfolio of Biacore systems on the market, with the latest products approximately 100 times more sensitive than the first and with significantly increased throughput capacity.
2002 Since 1999, the company has signed several collaboration agreements with companies in the drug discovery and development industry. The aim has been to develop new instrumentation targeted specifically towards solving problems for this customer group. The result has been Biacore S51, the most sensitive and highest throughput system yet, designed to target QSAR based lead optimization and early ADME, and Biacore C, a novel and unique development system designed in conjunction with Boehringer Ingelheim for the quantification of well characterized biochemicals. Biacore is rapidly expanding its business with continued good profitability. The resulting improved product offering and sales capability will help Biacore towards its goal of becoming one of the key technology suppliers to the drug discovery market over the next five years.
2003 During 2003 Biacore launched key products to enhance the use of Biacore 3000, a leading system solution in the company’s product portfolio, in the field of proteomic research and for pre-clinical and clinical applications in drug discovery. At the end of 2003, the company decided to strengthen its marketing team by appointing Erik Walldén as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development.
2004 2004 saw the continued growth of Biacore’s customer base for protein interaction analysis systems. Biacore also implemented a number of structural and personnel changes to strengthen the company’s commercial capabilities, culminating in a Strategic Business Review delivered in October. Erik Walldén was appointed President and CEO in July and Jerry Williamson was appointed President of Biacore Inc. in September. 2004 also saw Biacore sign its first commercial deal for the company’s new SPR array technology with a leading Japanese proteomics institute.
2005 February saw the launch of Biacore T100, the Company's most advanced system to date, offering unmatched performance for protein interaction analysis from research through drug discovery and development to manufacturing and QC. Terry Pizzie was appointed Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, in charge of sales and marketing worldwide. Also in the first quarter, Biacore acquired Flexchip System, as a complement to its current product portfolio. This system addresses those users within academia and upstream exploratory research who wish to simultaneously study the interactions of hundreds of proteins and peptides against a single sample. During the autumn Biacore launched the A100 system, a highly modern system for high-throughput screening. One single assay setup enables the screening of thousands analytes against as much as 20 different ligands. The comprehensive evaluation software is designed to ease the analyzing process by automated curve analysis.
2006 GE Healthcare acquired Biacore for $390 million in June. (restored from earlier Wiki)
