Affymetrix (Nasdaq:AFFX) and Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. today announced the signing of a multi-year supply agreement covering Affymetrix arrays and instruments to be utilized as part of Ariosa’s Harmony™ Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT). The partnership enables Ariosa to pursue the development of a Harmony test kit that will allow other laboratories around the world to adopt and perform this test. This announcement follows the recent publication of a study in Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy online in which Ariosa’s scientists successfully tested and implemented Affymetrix microarrays as part of a DNA quantification method for the Harmony test. The study demonstrated better performance of Affymetrix microarrays in comparison to a next generation sequencing approach in regard to shorter turn-around time and improved precision in measuring chromosome concentration and fetal fraction of cell-free DNA.

“We are pleased with the Affymetrix partnership as they have been a solid and reliable supplier. Our work on the microarray opens up the possibility to further broaden access to the Harmony test via a kit decentralization strategy,” said Ken Song, CEO of Ariosa. “We are excited about the opportunity to improve prenatal care for women globally.”

Ariosa Diagnostics is a partner in the Affymetrix’s Powered by Affymetrix™ Program. “Our array and assay technologies are foundational genomic tools in reproductive health and oncology applications. Our partners are providing innovative solutions for unmet needs in these critical areas,” said Frank Witney, President and CEO of Affymetrix. “We are pleased to work with Ariosa to supply arrays and instrumentation in support of their global business strategy.”

About the Harmony Test

The Harmony prenatal test is a non-invasive blood test for pregnant women that can be used as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy. By evaluating cell-free DNA found in maternal blood, the test can assess the risk of Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) in the fetus. It has been validated with the largest clinical data set in the prenatal cell-free DNA space, making it the most broadly studied cell-free DNA test. It is available in more than 90 countries and has been used to guide clinical care in over 350,000 pregnancies worldwide.

About Ariosa Diagnostics

Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. is a leading global molecular diagnostics company committed to improving overall patient care by developing and delivering innovative, affordable, and widely-accessible testing. Tests are fully validated by rigorous and comprehensive methodologies, to ensure health care practitioners and patients can be confident in the test’s performance. Ariosa has developed leading-edge technologies to perform a directed analysis of cell-free DNA in blood. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, visit www.ariosadx.com.

About Affymetrix

Affymetrix technologies enable multiplex and simultaneous analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level, facilitating the rapid translation of bench-top research into clinical and routine use for human health and wellness. The Company provides leadership and support, partnering with customers in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government, and non-profit research institutes in their quest to use biology for a better world. More than 2,300 microarray systems have been shipped around the world and more than 65,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published citing Affymetrix technologies. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, San Diego, Vienna, and Singapore. The Company has about 1,100 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit www.affymetrix.com.

Forward-looking statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies," or the like. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected. These and other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and other SEC reports for subsequent quarterly periods.