Warren, NJ – April 10, 2013 / PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today that Marshfield Food Safety, LLC (MFS) has integrated the Atlas® System into its food safety testing operations. MFS, an independent testing laboratory owned by Marshfield Clinic and headquartered in Marshfield, Wisconsin, has implemented the Atlas System at two of its eleven locations. With adoption of the Atlas System MFS has the capability of running the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay and the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay, both of which have received AOAC Performance Tested™ certification. MFS plans to use the Atlas System for molecular pathogen detection of Salmonella and Listeria in food and environmental, food ingredient, and finished product samples.

Roy P. Radcliff, CEO of MFS, explained, “The Atlas System from Roka Bioscience is one of the most accurate and robust systems we have evaluated. We always look for new technologies that will allow us to streamline operations while maintaining the highest quality of testing to our clients. The Atlas System provides superior traceability, quality control, and data integration with our LIMS. The Atlas System also offers improvements in efficiency through automation which translates directly into cost savings.”

The Atlas System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories.

“MFS works closely with all its clients and strives to provide solutions—not just test results,” said Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “The Atlas System meets that need. Its accuracy, speed, efficiency, and traceability make it a complete value-added solution. We are thrilled MFS has adopted the Atlas System and is realizing the incredible value it brings to food safety testing.”

Marshfield Food Safety, LLC 

Marshfield Food Safety, LLC provides a broad range of services to food production and distribution companies, test kit and media manufacturers, and certification agencies in areas of food, environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, industrial process control, process validation, method and procedure validation. Laboratory capabilities include the analysis of samples from a wide variety of matrices including: raw materials, food and beverage products, environmental swabs, and water. For more information, visit www.marshfieldfoodsafetyllc.com

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer (908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – February 28, 2013 / PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today adoption of the Atlas® System at Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories, Inc. (MVTL). MVTL, a private independent testing laboratory headquartered in New Ulm, Minnesota, has implemented the Atlas System along with the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay and the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay, both of which have received AOAC Performance Tested^SM certification.  MVTL plans to use the Atlas System for molecular pathogen detection of Salmonella and Listeria in food and environmental, food ingredient, and finished product samples.

Thomas R. Berg, CEO of MVTL, explained, “The Atlas System from Roka Bioscience is a life changer for us. We always look for ways to enhance our service capabilities. The Atlas System gives us major improvements in both data quality and turnaround time for our clients. The Atlas System also offers efficiencies through automation. These are key components in our efforts to control costs.”

The Atlas System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories.

“MVTL is committed to the highest quality data and prompt service,” said Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “The accuracy, speed, and flexibility of the Atlas System, as well as its ease of use, make it an ideal value-added solution. We are excited to partner with MVTL and work with them to realize the overall value the Atlas System brings to their food safety testing.”

Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories

Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories provides a broad range of services to business and federal, state, and local government in areas of food, agribusiness, environmental monitoring, pollution control, regulatory compliance monitoring, and industrial process control. Laboratory capabilities include the analysis of samples from a wide variety of matrices including: food products, environmental swabs, drinking water, ground water, surface water, wastewater, hazardous waste, coal, fuels, biosolids, feed, soil, plant tissue, and fertilizer.

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer (908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – September 27, 2012 / PRNewswire              

Roka Bioscience is proud to announce that its Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay has received AOAC Performance Tested Methods? Certification (PTM #031201) from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) for 10 additional food matrices. These matrices include frozen raw ground beef (375 g), raw ground turkey, cooked deli chicken (325 g), romaine lettuce (375 g), tomatoes, black pepper, dry pasta, dry pet food, soy flour, and shell eggs (100 g). This is further validation for the assay, which originally received AOAC-PTM certification in March of this year.

This matrix extension brings the total number to 22 food and 3 environmental validated matrices for the assay, including composite levels of samples and some of the more problematic matrices in the Food Safety Industry. The Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay combined with the fully automated Atlas System provides an accurate, reliable result with improved laboratory efficiencies.

“The Atlas System provides an incredibly easy-to-use, powerful platform for detecting Salmonella, an important food pathogen,” stated AJ McCardell, SVP of Commercial Operations for Roka Bioscience. “The addition of these matrices further extends applications of the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay and the Atlas System, giving laboratories even more testing options.”

About the Atlas System

The Atlas System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories. Customer evaluations have demonstrated a reduction in direct labor costs with the Atlas System in side-by-side comparisons with leading competitive methods.

The initial menu for the Atlas System includes the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay and the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay. Additional assays are currently in development.

About AOAC-RI

The AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC) that administers AOAC’s conformity assessment, including the AOAC Performance Tested Methods program. AOAC is a globally recognized, independent, not-for-profit standards developing association founded in 1884. AOAC serves the analytical community by engaging industry stakeholders to develop voluntary consensus standards for methods and providing analytical methods that demonstrate confidence in analytical results. For more information on the AOAC-RI and AOAC, visit the AOAC website at www.aoac.org.

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Roka’s strong presence left a lasting impression with meeting attendees, many of whom experienced a first-hand demonstration of Roka’s Atlas® System and learned how Roka’s innovative technology has the power to revolutionize food pathogen testing. Attendees also lined up to tour the Atlas on Tour vehicle—a custom-built Freightliner truck that features a demonstration room with a working Atlas System, a conference room, and multiple interactive presentation screens—which is now traveling to food testing locations across the country. For more information about Atlas on Tour, visit www.atlasontour.com.

Warren, NJ – July 23, 2012 / PRNewswire 

Roka Bioscience introduced the Atlas on Tour vehicle at the 2012 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. The custom-built 40-foot vehicle features a working Atlas System and provides an informational forum for food safety laboratories. The vehicle offers food safety professionals the opportunity to experience a full demonstration of the Atlas System, as well as interactive presentations on the technologies that power the system. The vehicle also contains a conference area where participants can discuss their specific testing needs with Roka Applications Specialists.

“The IAFP Meeting was the ideal location for introducing our Atlas on Tour vehicle to the Food Safety Industry and launching the tour,” explained Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “The tour gives our customers rare, direct access to a system that can revolutionize their laboratory testing. This type of innovation has to be shared, and we are thrilled to do so in such a personal and accessible way.”

IAFP marks the first public stop for the Atlas on Tour vehicle. From there, the tour will take Roka and its Atlas System to industry, government, and academic sites, and trade shows across the United States. Roka’s Atlas on Tour website www.atlasontour.com provides users with more details on the tour, the vehicle, and the Atlas System, as well as information on scheduling a visit at their location.

About the Atlas System

The Atlas System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories. Customer evaluations have demonstrated a reduction in direct labor costs with the Atlas System in side-by-side comparisons with leading competitive methods.

The initial menu for the Atlas System includes the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay and the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay, both of which are AOAC-RI certified. Additional assays are currently in development.

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
sobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – May 2, 2012 / PRNewswire 

Roka Bioscience announced today adoption of the Atlas System at QC Laboratories, Inc. (QCL) in Horsham, Pennsylvania. QCL, a leading analytical testing laboratory providing services to the environmental, dairy, food and pharmaceutical industries, has implemented the Atlas System along with the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay and the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay, both of which have received AOAC-RI certification.

The Atlas System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories.

QCL plans to use the Atlas System as the key component in a new “innovative service offering” for sample testing that will allow greater efficiencies and faster turn-around times.

Mark Carter, CEO of QCL, explained, “This technology provides unique flexibility and workflow capabilities that enable us to explore alternative business models. We are able to provide a rapid turn-around time and improved accuracy to our customers in a cost-effective manner.  We will be highlighting the Atlas System in our new 28,000 square foot Life Sciences Facility, in Horsham, Pennsylvania.”

“We are so pleased that QCL chose the Atlas System,” said Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “Working with QCL to discover the most efficient use of the Atlas System in their organization underscores Roka Bioscience’s individualized, customer-centric approach to food safety testing technology. We are excited to continue our partnership and support QCL in realizing the full benefits the Atlas System can bring to their food safety testing.”

QC Laboratories, Inc.

QCL provides analytical testing solutions to the environmental, food, dairy, and pharmaceutical markets. The company has a broad range of environmental analytical capabilities with specialization in drinking water analysis, aquatic toxicology, and microbiology. QCL is an FDA registered laboratory and conducts food, nutrition labeling and pharmaceutical quality control testing.

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – March 21, 2012 / PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today that their Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay has received AOAC Performance Tested Methods^SM certification from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI). The independent laboratory study was conducted by Silliker, Inc., as part of the AOAC-RI independent third-party validation process.

The Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay runs on the Atlas System, an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The system’s continuous workflow and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and dynamic scalability to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories. Customer evaluations have demonstrated a reduction in direct labor costs with the Atlas System in side-by-side comparisons with leading competitive methods.

The initial menu for the Atlas System includes the Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay and the Atlas Listeria Detection Assay, which received AOAC-RI certification in January 2012. Additional assays are currently in development.

“AOAC-RI certification involves rigorous independent testing and reviews and is a critical performance-based validation,” states Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “Adding the Atlas Salmonella Assay to our menu of AOAC-RI-approved assays underscores our commitment to making the Atlas System and Atlas Detection Assays the ideal testing solution for food safety laboratories.”

About AOAC-RI
The AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC) that administers AOAC’s conformity assessment, including the AOAC Performance Tested Methods program. AOAC is a globally recognized, independent, not-for-profit standards developing association founded in 1884. AOAC serves the analytical community by engaging industry stakeholders to develop voluntary consensus standards for methods and providing analytical methods that demonstrate confidence in analytical results. For more information on the AOAC-RI and AOAC, visit the AOAC website at www.aoac.org.

Roka Bioscience
Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
?ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – January 17, 2012 – PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today that their Roka Listeria Detection Assay has received AOAC Performance Tested Methods^SM certification from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI). The independent laboratory study testing was conducted by Silliker, Inc., as part of the AOAC-RI independent third-party evaluation and validation processes.

The Roka Listeria Detection Assay runs on the Atlas™ System, an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of food pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure–Enrich, Transfer, Automate–and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The instrument’s dynamic scalability and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and freedom to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories.

The initial menu for the Atlas System will be the Roka Listeria and Salmonella Detection Assays. Internal and external AOAC studies for the Roka Salmonella Detection Assay has been completed and submitted for AOAC Performance Tested Methods Certification. Additional assays are currently in development.

“AOAC-RI certification of the Roka Listeria Detection Assay was a critical step for us,” stated Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “This certification is recognized worldwide as the ultimate performance-based validation in our industry. We can now say with even more certainty that this assay, together with the Atlas System, gives food safety laboratories an ideal testing solution. Accuracy, speed, ease of use, flexibility—with this system, laboratories can truly have it all.”

About AOAC-RI

The AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC) that administers AOAC’s conformity assessment, including the AOAC Performance Tested Methods program. AOAC is a globally recognized, independent, not-for-profit standards developing association founded in 1884. AOAC serves the analytical community by engaging industry stakeholders to develop voluntary consensus standards for methods and providing analytical methods that demonstrate confidence in analytical results. For more information on the AOAC-RI and AOAC, visit the AOAC website at www.aoac.org.

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – January 6, 2012 – PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today that it has secured $47.5 million in Series D financing. New investor Aisling Capital participated in the financing along with existing investors OrbiMed Advisors, New Enterprise Associates, Inc., and TPG Biotech. In conjunction with the financing, Josh Bilenker, M.D., Partner at Aisling Capital, will join Roka’s Board of Directors. The proceeds of this round will support commercialization of the company’s Atlas™ System and ongoing assay development. The company closed on $27.5 million of the Series D round in December 2011 and expects to close on the remaining $20 million later this year. Upon completion of the Series D round, the total amount raised since the company’s formation in September 2009 will be $104.7 million.

The Atlas™ System is an innovative fully automated molecular instrument for the detection of food pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure—Enrich, Transfer, Automate—and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The instrument’s dynamic scalability and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and freedom to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories. The initial menu for the Atlas System will be the Roka Listeria and Salmonella Detection Assays. Additional assays are currently in development.

“We are very pleased with the continued confidence and support from our existing investors and are excited about adding Aisling Capital, a leading private equity firm, to our investor syndicate,” stated Paul Thomas, CEO and President of Roka Bioscience. “The new funding will support our commercialization efforts.”

Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com

Warren, NJ – September 15, 2011 – PRNewswire

Roka Bioscience announced today that the company has initiated the external evaluation process for AOAC certification of the Listeria Detection Assay. This evaluation is the final step required to receive AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) certification of methods used in the food safety industry. The field study is conducted by a third-party laboratory and monitored by AOAC. The internal portion of the evaluation began in July. We expect to complete both the internal and external evaluations in the fourth quarter.

The Listeria Detection Assay runs on the Roka Automated Instrument, an innovative fully automated molecular system for the detection of food pathogens in food and environmental samples. This instrument utilizes a simple three-step procedure-Enrich, Transfer, Automate-and is capable of processing over 300 samples in 8 hours. The instrument’s dynamic scalability and high throughput provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and freedom to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on food safety laboratories.

The initial menu for the Roka Automated Instrument will be the Listeria and Salmonella Detection Assays. Upon the completion of the Listeria Detection Assay evaluation, the Salmonella Detection Assay will be submitted for external evaluation. The Salmonella Detection Assay internal and external evaluations will begin in Q4 2011.

About Roka Bioscience

Roka Bioscience is a privately held company focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions based on molecular technologies for the industrial markets. The company’s scientific platform is based on proven, proprietary technologies used widely in clinical diagnostic testing and now being introduced into food safety and other industrial markets. Roka’s current product line provides food safety professionals with a fully automated molecular pathogen detection solution that delivers rapid, accurate results and improved laboratory efficiencies. For more information, visit www.rokabio.com.

Contact:
Steve Sobieski
Chief Financial Officer
(908) 605-4621
ssobieski@rokabio.com