Wyeth has signed an agreement with Affymetrix to use its GeneChip microarray technology for three more years, extending the relationship that began in 1994. Under the agreement, Wyeth will continue to apply Affymetrix technology in numerous areas of the drug discovery and development process.

Wyeth, one of the first pharma companies to apply genomics in clinical research, will continue to use Affymetrix microarray technology to identify new drug targets in an effort to gain a better understanding of the genetic markers that correlate with a patient's response to therapy. The latest GeneChip technology enables Wyeth to more accurately classify disease, predict clinical progression and determine likelihoods of treatment success in ways never before possible.

"Wyeth has been a pioneer in demonstrating the power of Affymetrix microarray technology in the entire drug discovery and development process," said Chip Leveille, vice president, pharmaceutical business unit at Affymetrix. "We anticipate that a better understanding of human genetic variations and the ability to look at the entire genome in greater detail will dramatically accelerate research and, ultimately, help bring more effective tests and therapies to market faster."