PerkinElmer to Help China Expand Neonatal Screening

BOSTON /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- PerkinElmer Inc., a global technology leader in health sciences and photonics, announced a five-year agreement with the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, to help expand neonatal screening for genetic diseases in seven of China's least economically developed provinces. The program, which begins this year, is part of the Chinese Ministry of Health's Sino-Finnish Neonatal Screening Cooperation project.

This is the second neonatal screening program between the Chinese Ministry of Health and PerkinElmer, a leading global provider of neonatal screening technology. In the first program, initiated in 1996, PerkinElmer donated five neonatal screening systems and ran a neonatal educational program in China.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to newborn screening and maternal health worldwide, we are pleased to be supporting China's Ministry of Health once again with this neonatal screening effort," said Robert F. Friel, president, PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences. "We are particularly excited that this partnership will reach families in seven of China's most underserved provinces, helping to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality."

In 2005, PerkinElmer systems were used to screen more than 50% of the 4 million babies who received newborn screenings in China. This expanded initiative will enable China's Ministry of Health to increase the screening rate by at least 30% annually in each of the seven provinces involved, which include Hubei, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Guangxi, Shanxi, Qinghai, and Guizhou. In addition to screening, the enhanced program will provide health education to physicians and lab staff at local screening centers, thereby improving the knowledge of genetic diseases and developing technical skills.

Under the terms of this agreement, the Chinese Ministry of Health will purchase the assay kits that will be used on the VICTOR Multilabel Plate Readers donated by PerkinElmer, giving labs a powerful system for detection and the direct quantification of DNA and proteins.

Other Information
Health Sciences end markets include genetic screening, environmental, service, biopharma, and medical imaging. Photonics markets include sensors and specialty lighting.

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global technology leader driving growth and innovation in health sciences and photonics markets to improve the quality of life. The company reported revenues of $1.5 billion in 2005, has 8000 employees serving customers in more than 125 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available at the company's Web site or at 1-877-PKI-NYSE.