News - details

19 May 2004

Isogenica enters into a research collaboration with AstraZeneca

Cambridge, UK, 19 May 2004:

Isogenica Ltd, today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with AstraZeneca.

The collaboration will assess the utility of Isogenica’s CIS display technology for the discovery of biologically active polypeptides which are specific for targets provided by AstraZeneca.

Isogenica’s CIS display technology provides a novel and effective means of rapidly identifying compounds that bind with high affinity and fine specificity to any given molecular target. CIS display can be widely applied to the drug discovery and development process as well as to the discovery and development of non-therapeutic products.

“We look forward to building a strong relationship with AstraZeneca and in assisting them with their drug discovery activities” said Dr Kevin FitzGerald, Isogenica’s CEO. “This collaboration provides further evidence of the wide range of applications that are addressable using Isogenica’s molecular evolution technologies and of Isogenica’s appetite for forming partnerships with high quality companies within our industry.” -Ends-

Notes to editors

 Contact details Kevin FitzGerald, PhD MBA, CEO Isogenica Ltd +44 (0) 1223 496720 kevin.fitzgerald@isogenica.com

Katja Stout Northbank Communications +44 (0)20 7886 8153 k.stout@northbankcommunications.com

About Isogenica

Isogenica was formed in December 2000 to develop and commercialise innovative in vitro molecular evolution technologies. The company has its research facility at the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge UK. The company's core technology, CIS display, can be applied to the discovery of new antibody, peptide and polypeptide drug candidates, to the discovery of high specificity diagnostic compounds and to the isolation of target validation and other research reagents, purification reagents and environmental detection reagents.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world with healthcare sales of over $18.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. Worldwide, AstraZeneca has six major research and development sites, four discovery facilities and a clinical research site, in total, employing more than 11,500 R&D staff members in Canada, France, India, Japan, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.