Revolutionary System Solidifies Leadership Position in Automation

    TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq: VMSI), a leading supplier of automated instrument reagent systems to
clinical histology and drug discovery labs, today announced that it has
introduced Benchmark(TM), the world's most automated histology instrument for
protein, DNA and RNA testing.
    Benchmark is the first histology instrument to automate the
labor-intensive steps required in baking, dewaxing, cell conditioning and
staining tissue for the purpose of cancer and infectious disease diagnosis.
Ventana estimates that by fully automating the baking through staining
process, histology labs can realize productivity improvements in excess of 60
percent.  Labs will also see significantly faster turnaround time as the
Benchmark facilitates same-day results instead of the current one-day
timeframe.  The Benchmark also eliminates the need for histology technicians
to be exposed to toxic organic solvents, such as Xylene, and alcohol during
the staining run.
    "Benchmark brings unmatched automation, quality and standardization that
will revolutionize the way testing is done today," said Christopher Gleeson,
Ventana's president and chief executive officer.  "It is the most advanced
staining system offered to clinical labs and clearly sets us apart from the
competition  For the first time in our history we can offer our customers a
system that automates activities that none of our competitors' instruments
automate."
    Because of its flexible modular design, Benchmark can be configured as
either a floor model or bench-top.  It comes with a data management system
that keeps track of reagent inventories, maintains quality assurance/quality
control records and constantly monitors all critical functions of the
instrument.  Benchmark is scaleable, meaning up to eight staining modules can
be interfaced to one computer to accommodate current and future testing
volumes.
    Benchmark will perform immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains, in-situ
hybridization (ISH) stains and florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) tests
on tissue and cytological patient samples.  The IHC menu includes 214 primary
antibodies, including the breast cancer marker HER-2 neu.  The projected
initial menu for ISH tests will be launched late in the fourth quarter.  It
will include probe tests for human papillomavirus, cytomegalovirus,
Epstein-Barr virus, Kappa and Lambda.  Benchmark will also offer a gene test
for HER-2 neu.
    "By eliminating the need to manually bake, dewax, cell condition and stain
histology slides, Benchmark fills a labor gap that exists in most histology
laboratories today," Gleeson commented.  "Recent market research we have
completed indicates that there are over 14 million IHC slides processed every
year in the United States.  Almost 50 percent of these are still stained
manually.  Clearly, this is a huge and exciting opportunity for us."
    Donna Willis, histology laboratory manager at Harris Methodist Hospital in
Fort Worth, Texas, and an early Benchmark customer, stated, "By reducing the
number of steps from four to one, Benchmark also reduces the amount of
tracking.  Now we produce one tracking document instead of four, making us
more efficient with paperwork.  Further, it allows my histotechs to
concentrate on tasks that require technical expertise rather than the mundane
steps of a manual procedure."
    Dr. Raymond Tubbs of the Cleveland Clinic, one of the sites that conducted
beta testing, commented, "Chief among Benchmark's features are on-line and
fully automated deparaffinization, tissue section adherence, cell conditioning
and individual slide protocol execution.  Gains in workforce utilization and
reduced exposure to organic solvents are the practical benefits and represent
genuine innovation that significantly and favorably impact safety, operational
cost and overall laboratory efficiency.  The consistency and reproducibility
of every slide will result in better diagnosis, which will ultimately improve
patient care."
    Gleeson added, "We have always been a product innovation leader in
histology and Benchmark will keep us ahead of our competition."
    Benchmark has been launched worldwide and to date units have been placed
in the United States, Switzerland, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

    Ventana develops, manufactures and markets instrument/reagent systems that
automate tissue preparation and slide staining in clinical histology and drug
discovery laboratories worldwide.  Ventana's clinical systems are important
tools used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
Ventana's drug discovery systems are used to accelerate the discovery of new
drug targets and evaluate the safety of new drug compounds.
    For more information on Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. via facsimile at no
additional cost, Simply dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter the stock symbol "VMSI."

Link to this page: