Tuesday, 28 March 2006

BT PHARMA and Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council support

BT PHARMA was granted a € 460 000 risk and interest free loan from the Midi-Pyrenees Regional Council to support its ProCervix® cervical cancer programme

Labège, France — March 28, 2006. BT PHARMA, an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapeutic vaccines in cancers, announced today that it received a zero interest financial aid of €460,000 from the Midi-Pyrenees Regional Council that is only reimbursable in case of success, for the development of its lead therapeutic vaccine candidate, Procervix®, for the treatment of cervical precancerous lesions in patients known to be at high risk of developing cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer and its associated-dysplasia are a major healthcare problem and are the result of infection by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease world-wide. In the US and Europe, more than 60 million women are infected and about 1 million of these develop precancerous cervical lesions each year. Despite extensive screening programmes focused on early detection, 35,000 women still die from cervical cancer in the US and Europe annually.

ProCervix® is scheduled to receive approval for Phase I/II clinical trials before the end of 2007. ProCervix® is based on BT PHARMA’s unique CyaA vector system which is able to deliver the appropriate HPV antigens needed to induce strong and specific T-cell responses. ProCervix® is the only bivalent therapeutic vaccine being developed which targets two of the most common HPV strains infecting women, HPV16 and HPV18. These two genotypes account for 70% of all cervical cancers.

Benedikt Timmerman, CEO of BT PHARMA, commented: "We are delighted to receive this grant from the Midi-Pyrenees regional council as it will help us move our cervical cancer vaccines programme toward the clinic. BT PHARMA is one of only a handful companies in the world focused on providing therapeutic vaccine solutions to women affected with HPV-associated precancerous lesions. I am confident that when approved, our Procervix® vaccine will provide a safe and convenient solution to this important unmet medical need."


About BT PHARMA

BT PHARMA is an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapeutic vaccines for the treatment cervical cancer provoked by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

The company’s lead vaccine candidate, ProCervix®, a HPV-therapeutic vaccine targeting cervical precancerous lesions, is scheduled to receive approval for Phase I/II clinical trial before the end of 2007. BT PHARMA plans to develop ProCervix® to proof of concept stage. ProCervix® is based on BT PHARMA’s unique CyaA vector system which is able to deliver the appropriate HPV-antigens needed to induce strong and specific T-cell responses.

In addition, BT PHARMA has a number of other therapeutic vaccine development programmes based on its CyaA vector system. These include TAAVac, for Tumour Associated Antigen Vaccine for a range of human cancers, and DOGTAA which targets various cancers in companion animals.

The company also has a second vaccine vector called PepTel® which has unique intrinsic adjuvant ability. This promising technology platform is available for licensing.

BT PHARMA started operations in October 2002 following its spin off from the Institut Pasteur. The company is headquartered in state-of-the-art facilities in Labège (Toulouse), France and employs 13 people.

About Midi-Pyrenees Regional Council

In February 2006, the « Région Midi-pyrénées » established a new economic policy. This new policy which is a "first" for France is based on supporting companies on a "multi-year" basis by providing support on a project and contract basis. These support contracts include a timeframe and are designed to provide a flexible tailored counsel to companies. In 2007, the "Région Midi-pyrénées" budget for economic development amounted to € 42 million, of which €17 million was directed specifically support SMEs. At the same time, the Region has increased its "research" budget for 2007 by 72%, this follows an increase of 46% in 2006. These research funds have been set up to promote the link between SMEs and academic laboratories.

The « Région Midi-pyrénées » supports also the "Cancéropôle Grand Sud-Ouest" and the "Cancéropôle" of Toulouse and has signed a protocol agreement with the "Association pour la Recherche contre le Cancer" (ARC) in 2006. This four year partnership has the objective of developing the optimal way of developing medical and biological research in the filed of cancer in the Midi-Pyrénées area.

For more information, please, see following website: www.midipyrenees.fr


Source: BT Pharma
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Tuesday, 7 March 2006

Clinical Data Acquires Genome Express to Enhance European Expansion

Acquisition Strengthens Clinical Data's Global Leadership Position in the Pharmacogenomics and Molecular Services Markets

Broadens European Footprint for Cogenics and PGxHealth and Provides Significantly Enhanced Base of Operations for Strategic Growth in the Region


NEWTON, Mass. — March 7, 2006 — Clinical Data, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDA), a worldwide leader in providing comprehensive molecular and pharmacogenomics services as well as clinical diagnostics to improve patient care, announced today that it has purchased GENOME expressTM, a leading French genomics services company based in the Rhône-Alpes region of France with headquarters in Meylan, France.

Under terms of the Agreement, GENOME express shareholders received total consideration of €2.65 million euros (approximately $3.16 million). Of this amount, €200,000 euros (approximately $238,000) is being paid in cash and the remainder is being paid through the issuance of 123,179 shares of Clinical Data common stock. In connection with the transaction, Clinical Data has agreed to file a registration statement with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission to register the shares issued in the transaction. Accordingly, this press release does not and will not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Clinical Data. GENOME express retained Bioscience Managers Limited as their exclusive advisor for the transaction.

Clinical Data President and CEO Israel M. Stein, M.D., said, "GENOME express is a leading genomics services company. In France, GENOME express is unsurpassed in the scope and breadth of its platform and its capacity for proprietary genomics, transcription, and proteomics analysis as well as its biocomputing backbone. The company has substantial operations and a strong track record of providing value to European and international pharmaceutical companies and biotechs. The services offered by GENOME express are very complementary and additive to those currently being provided by Clinical Data's CogenicsTM division. This transaction should also be accretive to earnings over the relatively near term."

"From both a financial and product perspective, and in terms of GENOME express’ geographic reach and client base of over 2000 active customers, this acquisition provides Clinical Data with an ideal opportunity to support additional European initiatives. Expansion beyond our present U.K. operations, where we already have a substantial presence, and into Europe by leveraging GENOME express assets and capabilities, provides the core strategic rationale for this transaction."

GENOME express CEO Warren Barton, said, "We welcome the opportunity to become a part of Clinical Data. We see this transaction as the initial phase of a strategic opportunity to jointly capitalize on the huge growth potential in genomics and related services in Europe. As a combined company, we anticipate building a substantial competitive advantage driven by the ability to offer the most comprehensive suite of genomics services to clients."


About GENOME express (www.genome-express.com)
In business since 1994, GENOME express specializes in DNA analysis for customers in human and animal healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agri-food and academic research. DNA contains the genetic code of living species and contains the key to understanding living organisms. GENOME express offers a team of experts, proprietary technologies, and an optimized process that together form a unique molecular biology and bioinformatics platform.

Using its DNA sequencing core business expertise, GENOME express has developed services and high value added solutions that allow its customers to interpret the data generated quickly and efficiently.

Analysis and identification services include:
— DNA sequencing
— Food ingredient specification
— Bacterial identification

GENOME express also offers custom solutions including an R&D outsourcing facility covering many areas of molecular biology, such as genomic exploration and identification of new markers.

To assist customers in conforming to European regulatory directives, GENOME express provides a range of services dedicated to identifying the content and origin of food through DNA analysis. These services include the detection of allergens or biological contaminants and address the needs of large-scale distribution chains and the agri-food industry. GENOME express is also the exclusive Applied Biosystems Advanced Gene Expression Service Provider, under this program, for France.

About Clinical Data, Inc. (www.clda.com)
Clinical Data, Inc. is a worldwide leader in providing comprehensive molecular and pharmacogenomics services as well as clinical diagnostics to improve patient care. Clinical Data’s Therapeutic DiagnosticsTM division, PGxHealth, builds upon existing assets acquired from Genaissance Pharmaceuticals in the areas of genomics-based, clinical diagnostics, therapeutic efficacy and safety biomarker development for drug utilization. PGxHealth plans to develop and introduce novel Therapeutic Diagnostics in combination with new and existing therapeutics. Clinical Data’s Pharmacogenomics and Molecular ServicesTM division, Cogenics, consolidates the operations of Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lark Technologies, Inc. and Icoria, Inc., each acquired during 2005. Cogenics provides a comprehensive range of molecular and pharmacogenomics services to pharmaceutical, biotech, academia, agricultural, and government clients. These services are offered in both research and regulated environments and have applications across the lifecycle of pharmaceutical product development, including pharmacovigilance requirements post launch. Clinical Data’s Vital Diagnostics division consolidates the operations of Clinical Data Sales & Service, Inc., Vital Scientific NV, Vital Diagnostics Pty. Ltd., and Electa Lab s.r.l. This division serves the clinical laboratory in the traditional in-vitro diagnostics market worldwide with a focus on the physician's office, hospital and small-to-medium sized laboratory segments. With customers in approximately 100 countries, Vital Diagnostics has achieved a leading market share for instruments and reagents sold into moderately complex physicians’ office laboratories within the United States.

Source: Cogenics
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