Adeza Biomedical Ships 1,000th System; Company Named Silicon Valley Growth Leader.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2003

Adeza Biomedical Corporation announced today it has shipped its 1,000th TLiIQ(TM) System for fetal fibronectin testing (fFN). The TLiIQ System is a compact clinical laboratory analyzer used with Adeza's fFN test. The fFN test lets health care providers quickly assess a pregnant woman's risks for preterm labor and preterm birth. The fFN test is becoming the standard of care with more than one-half million women having received the test.

Adeza was also named the eighth fastest growing private company by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal and the fastest growing medical technology company. The Journal's October 24, 2003 edition reported Adeza's revenue grew 319% from 2000-2002.

The Importance of the fFN Test

Adeza's fFN test determines the presence or absence of fetal fibronectin, a protein "glue" that holds the fetal membranes to the uterus during pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy, this protein is not usually present before delivery unless there is a risk of preterm birth.

Women who experience early signs and symptoms of labor between 24 and 35 weeks of their pregnancies could be at risk of premature delivery. A positive fFN test can prompt closer monitoring or interventions such as corticosteriods for acceleration of fetal lung maturation.

A negative fFN test provides 99.5% assurance that delivery will not occur within the next week. This helps reduce unnecessary hospitalization, patient anxiety, and exposure of the mother and fetus to medications.

According to Durlin Hickok MD, Adeza's Vice President of Medical Affairs, preterm births are the leading cause of preventable newborn deaths. They have reached epidemic levels in the United States, with more than 1,280 babies born prematurely each day.

Beyond the huge emotional impact caused by preterm births, hospitalization costs exceed $11 billion annually in the U.S. The problem is even greater worldwide with an estimated 13 million births each year," said Dr. Hickok. "Adeza's technology can help address these problems since the fFN test provides clinicians with objective information to help guide their treatment decisions. The closer a pregnancy gets to full term, the better."

About Adeza Biomedical

Adeza Biomedical, in Sunnyvale, California, is a privately held manufacturer and marketer of products designed to improve reproductive outcomes for women and their families. Adeza's proprietary fFN test is a simple, rapid assay used to diagnose, evaluate and monitor the risks of preterm labor and preterm delivery. In combination with Adeza's TLiIQ System, that integrates proprietary immunochemistry, micro-optical and digital electronics, the fFN test assists clinicians in providing more predictable birth outcomes. Adeza's E-tegrity(R) test is used to assess uterine receptivity to embryo implantation in cases of unexplained infertility. The E-tegrity test is performed at the CLIA-certified Adeza Diagnostic Services (ADS), the only lab service providing a biochemical means of determining uterine receptivity.