Major Pharma Deal

For immediate release

LifeSpan Biosciences Enters into Agreement with Major Pharmaceutical Company for Expanded DrugTarget Localization Database

SEATTLE, WA (August 23, 2004)--LifeSpan Biosciences, Inc., a leading proteomics company specializing in molecular pathology, today announced an agreement, valued at $2 million, with an undisclosed major international pharmaceutical company for a subscription to LifeSpan’s DrugTarget Database. This subscription agreement marks the 50th subscriber to LifeSpan’s DrugTarget data.

LifeSpan’s DrugTarget Database is the industry’s largest resource for proprietary human protein localization data for drug targets in eight important gene families, including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs), kinases, ion channels, phosphatases, proteases, phosphodiesterases, and transporters. The database provides subscribers with information on protein expression in 75 human tissues and diseases at the cellular level. It is used by pharmaceutical companies to identify and validate new target genes for drug discovery efforts.

Under the terms of the agreement, the subscriber will nominate 50 additional genes for study and inclusion in the expanded database over a two-year period. Access to the database and updates will be provided in real time throughout the development period. The database already includes 822 comprehensive immunohistochemistry reports with localization information on more than 400 potential drug target genes selected by pharmaceutical company subscribers, including 337 GPCRs, 45 NHRs, and a subset of proteases and kinases. The expanded database will include ion channels, secreted proteins, phosphatases, and other families of genes.

“The genomics and proteomics revolution has left scientists with too many early-stage targets for the next generation of drug discovery efforts. Our molecular pathology approach provides the pharmaceutical industry with information that allows prioritization of potential targets and selection of those with the most significance to major human diseases,” said Dr. Glenna C. Burmer, LifeSpan’s Chief Scientific Officer.

LifeSpan is using specific antibodies together with its extensive bank of human tissue specimens to measure expression of drug target candidates in a wide range of normal and diseased tissues. The results are interpreted by LifeSpan’s in-house pathologists and used to construct a relational database, which also contains detailed information on protein expression in each cell type of the tissues and diseases studied, accompanied by digital images.

About LifeSpan Biosciences, Inc.
LifeSpan Biosciences, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, is a privately held company founded in 1995 that employs molecular pathology and bioinformatics to identify and validate targets for its biotechnology and pharmaceutical company customers in Europe, Asia and North America. Products and services include more than 600 immunohistochemistry (IHC)-validated antibodies, multi-species tissue microarrays (TMA), custom TMA construction, IHC contract research services, subscription access to comprehensive human tissue IHC localization profiles for 400+ Drug Targets, and an expression focused informatics resource for 3,200 genes.

For additional information on LifeSpan Biosciences, please visit LifeSpan's web site at www.lsbio.com

For the USA: contact Andrew Elston, Director of Marketing, via phone at 206/374-1103, or via email at Andrew.Elston@LifeSpanBiosciences.com

For Europe: contact Julian Beesley, VP European Sales and Business Development, via phone at +44 (0) 1787 279293 or via email at Julian.Beesley@LifeSpanBioSciences.com

For Asia: contact Ruairi Mac Siomoin, Sales Manager – Asia, via phone at +81 (0) 47 308 2204 or via email at macsiomoin@LifeSpanBioSciences.com