Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and Aurora Biosciences Sign Agreement to Commercialize Green Fluorescent Protein Technology.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 2001

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and Aurora Biosciences Corporation today announced an agreement to commercialize their combined Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) technology which is used to accelerate drug discovery and development.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and Aurora Biosciences are innovators in the development of GFP technology and its application to research of gene expression, protein migration and interactions within living cells. The commercial agreement will allow the companies to broaden access to GFP technology by pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and academic research institutions. The companies made the announcement during the Society for Biomolecular Screening conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"It's an exciting time for drug discovery," said Dr. Andrew Carr, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's Chief Executive Officer. "We will combine the knowledge base we are building in encodable fluorescent proteins with our leading edge, high resolution optical technology and software to significantly help our customers to perform cellular exploration and functional biology research - critical elements in the development of new medical treatments."

"Aurora Biosciences has established a leadership position in the development and commercialization of fluorescent protein technology for a broad range of applications, and Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's worldwide marketing and sales organization has the potential to expand the commercial use of this highly enabling technology," said Harry Stylli, Aurora Biosciences' President. "This agreement will expand the availability of GFP technology to a wider range of customers."

GFP was originally identified in the luminescent jellyfish Aequorea Victoria and is produced by the jellyfish when stimulated. When incorporated into cellular DNA it is produced by the cell, and, following laser excitation, shines with a bright green fluorescent glow that can be used to track proteins within living cells. GFP, already used in cancer and Alzheimer's research, can dramatically advance the drug discovery process by enabling researchers to study real-time gene expression and protein migration and interactions. GFPs are widely used as research tools, and there are currently more than 2,300 publications relating to the GFP field. Drug discovery-related applications of GFP technology include various methods of functional genomics, high-throughput screening assays and gene profiling to assess the potential toxicity of compounds.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, the life sciences business of Amersham plc (NYSE:NYE; LSE:NAM; OSE:NYA), is a leading global provider of biotechnology systems, products and services for research into genes and proteins, for the discovery and development of drugs and for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The customers for the company's products and technology are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research and academic institutions, principally in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Aurora Biosciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX), uses proprietary advances in biology, chemistry and automation to accelerate the discovery of new medicines. Aurora Biosciences' core technologies include a broad portfolio of proprietary fluorescence assay technologies and screening platforms designed to provide an integrated solution for drug discovery. The company also provides assay development and screening services as part of its drug discovery collaborations. Aurora Biosciences' technologies and drug discovery capabilities have been commercially validated by over 20 major life sciences companies and research organizations, including American Home Products, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Eli Lilly, Families of SMA, GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, NV Organon Laboratories, Pfizer, Pharmacia and Roche.

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements regarding the expected benefits to be realized by Vertex, Aurora Biosciences, and others from the agreement between Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and Aurora Biosciences, including statements that the agreement may allow Aurora Biosciences and Amersham Pharmacia Biotech to broaden their customer base, that the agreement may enable customers to carry out more effective cellular exploration and functional biology research, that the agreement may allow Aurora Biosciences and Amersham Pharmacia Biotech to increase their market position in the GFP technology field, and that the agreement may enable Aurora Biosciences to expand the commercial use of GFP technology. While Vertex's management makes its best efforts to be accurate in making forward-looking statements, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that the agreement between Aurora Biosciences and Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, or the licenses granted thereunder, may be terminated by either party, that Vertex may be unable to successfully integrate Aurora Biosciences into its existing business, that Vertex may be unable to further identify, develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies, that Vertex may be unable to rapidly identify promising drug candidates, that Vertex may be unable to successfully finance, market, and secure regulatory approval for its drug candidates, that Vertex is dependant upon pharmaceutical and biotechnology collaborations, and the levels and timing of payments under Vertex's collaborative agreements, that Vertex may be unable to obtain new corporate collaborations, maintain existing collaborations and acquire new technologies on satisfactory terms, if at all, that Vertex may be unable to adequately protect its proprietary technologies against patent-infringement claims, and risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the U.S. and internationally. Vertex disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.