Agencourt Introduces Discovery Solutions Suite of Genomic Services.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 2002

Turnkey Suite of Services Provides Researchers with Accurate and

Cost-effective Outsourcing Solutions for Genomic, Functional Genomic,

and Proteomic Research

Agencourt Bioscience Corporation, a provider of genomic services and nucleic acid purification products that help biotech and pharmaceutical companies improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their drug development pipelines, today announced the creation of its Discovery Solutions(TM) suite of genomic and functional genomic services. Agencourt's Discovery Solutions suite provides biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies, government laboratories and academic research institutions with cost-effective outsourcing options for genomic, functional genomic, and proteomic research. The modular workflow enables Agencourt's customers to enter its services pipeline at any stage and empowers Agencourt to complete projects of any scope.

The Discovery Solutions suite includes an array of high-throughput DNA sequencing, genotyping, and targeted Single-base Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery services designed to enable a better understanding of genetics and accelerate the development of precise, customized medical treatments. The Discovery Solutions suite includes the following services:

Genomic Services

-- Large-Scale Sequencing - At the core of the Discovery Solutions service offerings is Agencourt's sequencing pipeline, which is capable of producing over 20 million Phred20 bases per day. Discovery Solutions include an array of sequencing services for a variety of targets. Agencourt's efficient pipeline also enables high quality sequence finishing of cDNAs, large clones and whole genomes.

-- SeeSNP(TM) SNP Discovery - Agencourt's SeeSNP Discovery is a multi-stage process, involving assign design and validation followed by sample amplification and sequencing. Agencourt's proprietary bioinformatics tools have proven to successfully streamline the process of amplicon modeling and design, reduce assay variability and dramatically improve amplicon success rates to over 90 percent.

Functional Genomic Services

-- AgenTYPE(TM) SNP Genotyping - Agencourt utilizes Sequenom's

MALDI-TOF MassARRAY technology to provide customers with

extremely accurate genotyping without the need for labeling or

separation steps.

-- SAGE(TM) Sequencing - Serial Analysis of Gene Expression

(SAGE) is a powerful sequencing-based method for the analysis

of gene expression and offers the potential of identifying

unknown and known genes and generating enduring data.

"The nature of our genomic research demands the highest degree of SNP genotyping accuracy, automation and IT infrastructure to provide precise sample management and quick turn-around," said Dr. Mark F. Newman, Professor and Chairman for the Duke University Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology, which Agencourt provides large-scale assay development and SNP genotyping services. "Agencourt Bioscience was the leading high-throughput service provider that met our high standards."

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Whitehead Institute are also among Agencourt's early Discovery Solutions' customers.

"Genetic information will become increasingly important in the development of new drugs, but few organizations have the infrastructure or expertise to cost-effectively generate the specific genomic information they need," said Brian McKernan, president and CEO for Agencourt BioScience. "Agencourt has solved this problem with a full complement of cost-effective and efficient outsourcing services that encompass the entire target identification process. We can help companies identify genes through our genome sequencing services, identify novel SNPs in those genes through SeeSNP(TM), our SNP discovery service, and provide genotyping information through our AgenTYPE(TM) genotyping service."

About Agencourt Bioscience Corporation

Agencourt Bioscience Corporation is a provider of genomic services and nucleic acid purification products that help biotech and pharmaceutical companies improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their drug development pipelines. Agencourt's Discovery Solutions(TM) suite of genomic and functional genomic services include high throughput sequencing, SAGE(TM) sequencing, SNP discovery and genotyping. The company's purification products and services are based on the proven and patented Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization (SPRI(TM)) technology, which has been used to sequence over 20 billion base pairs of high-quality DNA or more than one-third of the human genome. Several of Agencourt's founders worked at the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research, and have significant experience in combining the chemistries and instrumentation for high-throughput genomics. Agencourt is located in Beverly, Mass. and is available on the Web at www.agencourt.com.