Procter & Gamble

PROCTER & GAMBLE PHARMACEUTICALS (P&GP) SUBSCRIBES TO GPCR LOCALIZATION DATABASE

CINCINNATTI (February 12, 2002) - Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has subscribed to LifeSpan Biosciences' GPCR Localization Database. The database, which is currently under development by LifeSpan, will eventually provide expression and localization information on 320 individual GPCRs.

Under the contract, P&GP researchers will be able to view all GPCR-related information from a single, integrated bioinformatics platform and to engage in proprietary GPCR expression studies with LifeSpan. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This collaboration adds to our ever growing arsenal of tools that allow us to move quickly from genomic targets to the invention of important new therapeutic agents across our focus areas in drug development," said Dr. Gordon Hassing, Procter & Gamble Vice President, Research and Development, Global Pharmaceuticals.

GPCRs are a family of cell-surface molecules that act as receptors for biologically active compounds. Nearly 50 percent of currently marketed pharmaceuticals are included in this group of biologically active compounds. Using its extensive bank of human tissue specimens, LifeSpan is generating specific antibodies to GPCRs and using immunohistochemistry to determine the expression and localization of individual GPCRs at the cellular level in a wide range of normal and diseased tissues. LifeSpan's molecular pathology approach requires highly trained pathologists to interpret staining patterns that reflect the distribution of gene products expressed in various tissues. As a result, this approach provides a degree of detail that cannot be achieved by high-throughput methods such as gene chips.

LifeSpan has compiled its detailed GPCR expression and localization information in an easy-to-search relational database that includes more than 30,000 high-resolution digital images, integrated with approximately 50,000 public DNA and protein sequences and 70,000 publications. Because of its unique emphasis on gene expression and localization in normal and diseased human tissues and cell types, LifeSpan's database is of particular value in helping subscribers pinpoint the most productive areas for drug research, identify and validate new targets for drug development, and flag potential side effects early in the drug development process.

For additional information on LifeSpan Biosciences, please visit LifeSpan's web site at www.lsbio.com, or contact Andrew Elston, Director of Sales, via phone at 206/464-1554, or via email at aelston@lsbio.com.

About LifeSpan Biosciences, Inc.

LifeSpan Biosciences, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, is a privately held company founded in 1995 that employs molecular pathology, microarray and bioinformatics technology to identify and validate targets for its pharmaceutical company customers in Europe, Asia and North America. LifeSpan also builds human expression databases for select pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers.

About Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals

Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals is a part of Procter & Gamble Health Care, a division of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) -- a $40 billion global leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of a broad range of consumer goods. In prescription drugs, P&GP is focusing on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health, as well as anti-infective therapies. Some of P&G's leading prescription products include Actonel(R) (risedronate sodium tablets), Didronel(R) (etidronate disodium), Asacol(R) (mesalamine) and Macrobid(R) (nitrofurantoin monohydrate/macrocrystals).