>Question to a paediatrician from a parent of ADHD child....
>Does anyone know if the Roche Amplichip CYP450 test to identify fast
>metabolisers is routinely available in the UK?
>Where? how much? sample? interpretation/usefulness?
>
>
>
>Elizabeth Hall
>
>Principal Biochemist,
>Kent and Canterbury Hospital


My contacts tell me that Roche is not actively pursuing sales of 
nucleic acid chips, though the CYP450 Amplichip continues to be shown 
on its website <http://www.roche.com/med_backgr-ampli.htm>.  Roche 
has also  re-licensed our patents relating to so-called protein 
microarrays, and publicly disclosed that it is developing array-based 
immunoassays; it therefore retains an interest  in microarray 
technology for diagnostic purposes . Whether Roche could provide you 
with a P450 chip is uncertain, but in any case one needs specialised 
equipment to process and read biochips, so I would not have thought 
this was a test  that - if available - could be provided by any but a 
specialised and experienced lab.  In short, not a technology for 
beginners.

One of my old buddies is running such a lab at UCL using Affymetrix 
chips and associated scanning equipment (for research purposes).  The 
CYP450 chip is constructed using Affy technology, and is identical in 
appearance to an Affy chip; I would therefore guess he might be able 
and willing to assist you in doing the test, but I've been unable to 
contact him this a.m. to check whether would be possible (or useful). 
But the first thing for you to do is to contact Roche directly to 
determine whether they would sell you a chip.

Affymetrix chips have been sold in the past for sums in the order of 
hundreds of dollars US, but Roche - if it is in fact continuing to 
market the chips in Europe - might be prepared to sell you one or two 
at a lower price.

Roger Ekins
-- 



Prof Roger Ekins,  PhD DSc FRS
Windeyer Institute
University College London
London W1T 4JF


Phone +44 20 7679 9410
Fax +44 20 7679 9407

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