Fluidigm Announces Collaboration Agreement with Imaging CRO ImaBiotech to Increase Biopharma Access to Imaging Mass Cytometry

Collaboration Focusing on Advancing CRO Capabilities in Drug Development Utilizing the Hyperion Imaging System

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluidigm Corporation (NASDAQ:FLDM), an innovative biotechnology tools provider with a vision to improve life through comprehensive health insight, today announced a collaboration and co-marketing agreement with ImaBiotech for service offerings and product development for Imaging Mass Cytometry™ (IMC™).

ImaBiotech is a contract research organization that offers spatial multi-omics services to the pharmaceutical research industry, specializing in precision medicine approaches to drug efficacy and toxicity evaluations, from preclinical to clinical stages. Through the acquisition of the Hyperion™ Imaging System, the company will be offering Imaging Mass Cytometry as one if its core technologies. ImaBiotech operates research facilities in both the U.S. and Europe in the GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) environment.

“We continuously evaluate technologies and develop robust and effective protocols and applications to accelerate the development of safe and effective therapies,” said Jonathan Stauber, PhD, ImaBiotech CEO. “Our customers expressed a need for high-multiplex imaging, and that compelled us to acquire a Hyperion Imaging System to meet market needs. We are excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Fluidigm in this regard, innovating applications and products, including new panel development, to make Imaging Mass Cytometry an even more powerful tool.”

ImaBiotech’s specialty services in high-parameter imaging are utilized by more than 200 customers, most of which are pharmaceutical companies.

“Partnering with a highly specialized imaging CRO that processes hundreds of samples per week in a GLP environment is a great opportunity for Fluidigm, and we are thrilled to partner with ImaBiotech,” said Chris Linthwaite, Fluidigm President and CEO. “This collaboration will showcase the unique capabilities of Imaging Mass Cytometry in drug development and provide a foundation to develop new applications and products, enabling our technology to play a greater role in important clinical and translational research that leads to better health care decision making.”

Among key growth strategies for Fluidigm is driving adoption of the technology in clinical and translational research, as well as accelerating consumables and assay development through increased organic investment and partnership. Globally, mass cytometry is utilized by 9 of the top 10 pharma companies. Mass cytometry technologies, including CyTOF® , Imaging Mass Cytometry and Maxpar® Direct™, have been used in more than 160 clinical trials, including 10 utilizing IMC.

“Imaging Mass Cytometry is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the clinical and translational research markets, and our collaboration with ImaBiotech provides a new means to provide the benefits of this technology to the pharma segment,” Linthwaite said.

About Fluidigm
Fluidigm (Nasdaq:FLDM) focuses on the most pressing needs in translational and clinical research, including cancer, immunology, and immunotherapy. Using proprietary CyTOF and microfluidics technologies, we develop, manufacture, and market multi-omic solutions to drive meaningful insights in health and disease, identify biomarkers to inform decisions, and accelerate the development of more effective therapies. Our customers are leading academic, government, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, plant and animal research, and clinical laboratories worldwide. Together with them, we strive to increase the quality of life for all. For more information, visit fluidigm.com.

Fluidigm, the Fluidigm logo, CyTOF, Direct, Hyperion, Imaging Mass Cytometry, IMC, and Maxpar, are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fluidigm Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About ImaBiotech
ImaBiotech is a part of a global bioanalytical CRO including Pyxant Labs with facilities in Boston (MA), Colorado Springs (CO), Salt Lake City (UT) and Lille (France) that offers unique bioanalytical and spatial bioanalytical services to the pharmaceutical industry. ImaBiotech combines innovative Mass Spectrometry Imaging, spatial biology (histology, multi-omics, spatialomics) techniques and proprietary software (multimaging) in order to decipher the complexity of drug activities in heterogenous tissues. The combination of unique capabilities with advanced digital pathology tools makes possible the measurement of drug activity and drug response, simultaneously, at the single cell level. This performance enables comprehensive drug efficacy evaluation from preclinical to clinical stages. For more information, visit imabiotech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements for Fluidigm 
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, statements regarding the benefits of a collaboration and Fluidigm technologies and demand for Fluidigm products and services. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from currently anticipated results, including but not limited to risks relating to the potential adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our business and operating results, potential product performance and quality issues; intellectual property risks; competition; uncertainties in contractual relationships; and reductions in research and development spending or changes in budget priorities by customers. Information on these and additional risks and uncertainties and other information affecting Fluidigm business and operating results is contained in Fluidigm’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Fluidigm disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.

Available Information
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Fluidigm 

Media:
Mark Spearman
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
650 243 6621
mark.spearman@fluidigm.com

Investors:
Peter DeNardo
415 389 6400
ir@fluidigm.com

ImaBiotech

Corinne Ramos
Innovation and Marketing Director
+33 (0) 374 095 546
contacts@imabiotech.com