HP Speeds Drug Discovery Research with Inkjet Technology

HP Speeds Drug Discovery Research with Inkjet Technology

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced an innovative drug research application for its inkjet technology that enables pharmaceutical companies to more efficiently develop better drugs through vastly more precise dispensing of dosages.

"Our inkjet ‘scalable printing technology' can precisely and rapidly dispense droplets that have one-third the width of a human hair, offering pharmaceutical companies the high-performance dispensing necessary to streamline critical R&D processes and speed drug discovery research."
.HP high-performance inkjet dispensing technology is now being used to speed the evaluation of how potential drug compounds impact biologic agents like cancer cells at very low concentrations. This new capability can help researchers significantly improve accuracy when evaluating drug safety and effectiveness, testing for drug interactions and developing new drugs.

HP's methodology also can decrease expensive labware and biological fluid waste associated with complex, conventional testing methods, reducing research costs. The process also can improve productivity by eliminating many time-consuming and tedious steps in the drug discovery process.

HP is working with several leading pharmaceutical companies to incorporate its dispensing technology into their own work flows with very promising results.

"HP is leveraging a nearly 30-year history in inkjet technology development to address non-print markets under its own brand for the first time," said Mark Hanley, president of IT Strategies, an inkjet technology research firm. "Inkjet technology brings the same efficiencies to the drug discovery process that it brought to printing, allowing for on-demand, small-volume, high-precision production at costs significantly lower than existing analog processes."

Bringing new value to the pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical companies invest nearly $16 billion in drug discovery research each year,(1) evaluating novel chemical compounds as potential drugs to prevent or treat diseases such as diabetes or cancer.

"Current methods for drug dosing rely on costly manual or automated processes, which are time consuming, error prone and wasteful," said Kathy Tobin, vice president and general manager, Specialty Printing Systems, HP. "Our inkjet ‘scalable printing technology' can precisely and rapidly dispense droplets that have one-third the width of a human hair, offering pharmaceutical companies the high-performance dispensing necessary to streamline critical R&D processes and speed drug discovery research."

By repurposing its most advanced inkjet technology to address the needs of this important market space, HP can quickly bring new value to the biopharmaceutical industry. HP continues to evaluate other important new market spaces, such as in-vitro diagnostics, where its inkjet technology can have a positive impact.

More information about HP's digital dispensing system is available at www.hp.com/go/High-PerformanceDispensing.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) Nature, Vol. 9, March 2010.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the competitive pressures faced by HP's businesses; the development and transition of new products and services (and the enhancement of existing products and services) to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.