Aspen Technology Releases Aspen Chromatography.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1998--

Enables manufacturers in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, fine chemical and food industries to model and optimize chromatographic separation

and purification processes

Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AZPN), the leading provider of Smart Manufacturing software and services for the process industries, today announced the availability of Aspen Chromatography(tm) 1.0. Aspen Chromatography is the only commercially available simulation tool specifically targeted to address the broad range of chromatographic separation and purification processes used in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, fine chemical and food industries. The new product supports AspenTech's strategy to deliver industry-specific solutions that address critical business objectives, including reducing process development costs, improving drug quality for clinical trials, complying with regulatory guidelines and reducing the cost of production.

Batch chromatography and chromatographic Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technologies are designed for processes such as drug separation and purification, amino acid separation, protein purification and separation of fructose from glucose. Aspen Chromatography contains an extensive model library that allows users to produce accurate, detailed models of their systems. By enabling engineers to quickly evaluate process alternatives and optimize plant performance, Aspen Chromatography provides a better understanding of these complex, interactive processes. The benefits include superior process designs, increased product yield, improved product quality and reduced operating costs.

Aspen Chromatography adds value to batch and continuous operations throughout the process life cycle, from research and development, to pilot plant and design through production. For example, during R&D, it enables users to quickly evaluate process alternatives by comparing chromatographic SMB to traditional batch chromatography processes. It also helps engineers designing new processes or revamping existing facilities to quickly perform scale-up of bench designs and specify correct equipment size. During the production process, Aspen Chromatography is used to optimize the process to achieve required product quality and yield, while minimizing capital, energy and raw materials costs.

"The release of Aspen Chromatography supports AspenTech's Plantelligence(tm) initiative to offer industry-specific solutions that address the critical business issues that manufacturers face," said Vladimir Mahalec, AspenTech senior vice president, plant modeling and optimization. "Aspen Chromatography expands AspenTech's capabilities to model and optimize the complex chromatographic separation and purification processes which are key units used in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, fine chemical and food production."

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Aspen Chromatography includes a number of powerful features:

o    A comprehensive and rigorous library of models for batch and
     continuous SMB chromatography applications. This feature allows
     Aspen Chromatography to produce highly accurate models of
     chromatographic processes.

o    An optimization facility to quickly identify the optimum stream
     flowrates, port switch times and other process conditions that
     will achieve the desired product purity, yield and recovery.

o    An estimation capability that automatically fits model parameters
     to available lab or plant data. This feature is important in
     generating accurate models of actual process operations and
     allows for more accurate predictions of future facilities
     performance.

o    An interactive environment allows users to view results in the
     way that is most convenient to them--in plots, tables or stream
     and elution reports.

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Aspen Chromatography is available on the Windows 95, IBM RS/6000, Digital Alpha (Open VMS and UNIX), Sun Solaris, HP-UX and HP 9000/700 platforms.

About AspenTech

Aspen Technology, Inc. (www.aspentech.com) is a leading supplier of software and services for the analysis, design and automation of process manufacturing plants in industries such as chemical, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, electric power, pulp and paper, and metals. Process manufacturers use AspenTech's solutions to improve the way they design, operate and manage their plants. These solutions enable customers to reduce their raw material, energy and capital expenses, meet environmental and safety regulations, improve product quality and shorten the time required to get new production processes on stream. AspenTech employs more than 1,400 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with offices in 21 countries worldwide.

AspenTech's software and services comprise the Plantelligence suite, the process industry's only complete solution for the Smart Manufacturing System market. Plantelligence brings intelligence to bear on the design, operation and management of manufacturing processes. Deep process knowledge, as well as integration with enterprise systems and the open field, brings AspenTech customers' manufacturing processes closer to True Potential(tm). -0-

Aspen Chromatography, AspenTech, Plantelligence, True Potential and the Aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Aspen Technology, Inc.

Toni Lee Rudnicki, 617/949-1472

[e-mail]

OR

Schwartz Communications, Inc.

Laura Kempke, 781/684-0770

[e-mail]