Amersham Biosciences Launches Redivue Tip To Improve Radiochemical Safety; Innovative Storage of Radiolabeled Compound in a Solution-Free Format.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 2003

Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham plc (LSE:AHM) (NYSE:AHM) (OSE:AHM), has enhanced its Redivue(TM) range to further improve the safety and efficiency of radiochemical use in laboratories.

The new Redivue Tip(TM) dCTP contains reaction-sized aliquots of radionucleotide in a solution-free format, making experiments easier and safer to do.

The preloaded Redivue Tip will enable those in industrial screening and academic bench laboratories to work with increased safety and efficiency. The radionucleotide is reversibly immobilized on to the interior surface of the pipette tip for elution directly into the reaction mixture. The risk of spillage is minimized, and the highly visible Redivue dye aids handling. Any radioactive spillages that do occur can be seen clearly and dealt with safely.

In addition, with the radioactivity already supplied in a pipette tip, there is less product and packaging waste. Users will also find it easy to see how many tips are left, and an activity calculator is supplied making record keeping easy and accurate -- even with multiple users.

The new Redivue Tip will be used primarily for the labelling of DNA. Due to its innovative product design, Redivue Tip does not contain any chemical stabilizers and can still be stored at 49(degrees)C with no compromise on performance in a range of applications.

Cathy Howat, Vice President for Marketing Bioassays at Amersham Biosciences, said, "The launch of Redivue Tip demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovation, particularly in an important market such as the radiochemical industry. Radioactivity is still the method of choice for many organisations that have established protocols where the sensitivity of radioactivity simply cannot be matched by new technologies. Redivue Tip will appeal to researchers because it increases the efficiency of their radiological experiments.

Redivue Tip will also be of interest to Radiation Protection Officers whose role it is to promote and advocate safety in the laboratory."

Redivue Tip is available now. More information can be found at www.radiochemicals.com.

Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham plc (LSE:AHM) (NYSE:AHM) (OSE:AHM), is a world leader in developing and providing integrated systems and solutions for disease research, drug development and manufacture. Our systems are used to uncover the function of genes and proteins, for the discovery and development of drugs and for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The customers for Amersham Biosciences' products and technology are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research and academic institutions, principally in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. More information about Amersham Biosciences is available at www.amershambiosciences.com.

Amersham Biosciences -- enabling molecular medicine.