Affymetrix and Children's Research Institute Form Five-year Strategic Alliance

Business Wire, July 17, 2007

Researchers to Screen the Genetic Information of Up to 25,000 Patients in Five Years to Develop Novel Diagnostics and Screening Tests for Common, Complex Diseases Affecting Children

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & MILWAUKEE -- Affymetrix Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFX) and Children's Research Institute, a not-for-profit medical research member organization of Children's Hospital and Health System affiliated with Medical College of Wisconsin, announced today that they have entered into a five-year strategic alliance. The alliance will help Children's Research Institute build processing capacity over the next five years to analyze up to 25,000 samples using several different Affymetrix arrays.

The goal of the alliance is to demonstrate the clinical utility of array-based molecular diagnostics, and to leverage arrays to make molecular diagnostic tests better, faster and more economical. Scientists at Children's Research Institute will use Affymetrix GeneChip([R]) microarray technology to analyze the genomic information of consenting patients. The large-scale clinical studies are designed to enable researchers to better identify the genetic variations associated with common, complex diseases that affect children. The resulting information will be used to develop novel diagnostics and screening tests to help clinicians and families make more informed decisions.

"The primary objective of Children's Research Institute is to bring together the best in cutting-edge medical research with the best in established medical treatment for children," said Robert Kliegman, M.D., executive vice president of Children's Research Institute.

"We are excited to work together with Affymetrix, as its technology platform for highest-throughput genotyping is critical for our goal of identifying genes and markers for common diseases," said Ulrich Broeckel, M.D., leading investigator in the Individualized Medicine Institute at Children's Research Institute.

"The Children's Research Institute is one of the premier pediatric genetic research facilities in the United States," said Fred Pollock, director of translational medicine and strategic alliances at Affymetrix. "We are excited about moving forward with this strategic alliance that is designed to accelerate the development of new personalized treatments and tests targeted at the more common diseases affecting our children."

Affymetrix collaborates with academic institutions, advocacy groups and the pharmaceutical and diagnostics community through its Translational Medicine Program to develop molecular signatures for improving patient care. Affymetrix GeneChip microarray technology helps researchers diagnose and tailor treatments for individual patients by identifying and measuring the genetic information associated with complex diseases. The Translational Medicine Program complements the Powered by Affymetrix[TM] program, which enables companies to license GeneChip technology to create innovative, custom-designed microarray products based on signatures such as those of our Translational Medicine Program partners. This technology is already being used in many applications, including diagnostics, forensics, animal, industrial and food testing.

About Children's Research Institute

Children's Research Institute advances state-of-the-art pediatric healthcare practice through dedicated laboratory and clinical research. The institute focuses solely on initiatives that promise to provide discoveries leading to new answers and improved solutions to children's unmet healthcare needs. Children's Research Institute is affiliated with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and is a member of Children's Hospital and Health System. Children's Hospital and Health System is able to fulfill its mission thanks in part to philanthropic gifts and support from members of the community. For more information, please visit the website at www.chw.org/research.> About Affymetrix

Affymetrix GeneChip([R])microarray technology is the industry-standard tool for analyzing complex genetic information. After inventing microarray technology in the late 1980s, Affymetrix scientists have been dedicated to developing innovative products that provide researchers with a more complete view of the genome. These products continue to accelerate genetic research and enable scientists to develop diagnostics and tailor treatments for individual patients by identifying and measuring the genetic information associated with complex diseases.

Today, Affymetrix technology is used by the world's top pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government and not-for-profit research institutes. More than 1,500 systems have been shipped around the world and more than 8,500 peer-reviewed papers have been published using the technology.

Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and has manufacturing facilities in Sacramento, Calif., and Singapore. The company has about 1,100 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations across Europe and Asia. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit the company's website at www.affymetrix.com.