GE to Offer Innovative Manufacturing Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry at INTERPHEX 2006.

NEW YORK -- Four GE businesses will display leading-edge materials, manufacturing technologies, and solutions for a wide range of pharmaceutical applications in GE's booth (#1809) at INTERPHEX 2006. GE Healthcare, GE Fanuc Automation, GE Advanced Materials, and GE Water & Process Technologies will join together to highlight solutions that address key challenges in the pharmaceutical manufacturing arena.

GE will also host a panel discussion moderated by Robert Bazell of "NBC Nightly News". Mr. Bazell will lead an interactive dialogue between GE Healthcare's Peter Loescher, Genentech's Patrick Yang and Centocor's Richard Siegel as they delve into the most pressing issues facing manufacturers today and how they are meeting the speed, safety and efficiency challenges of the future.

"GE has a long history of innovation and our approach to the pharmaceutical industry is no exception. The GE global footprint puts us in a unique position to offer a breadth and depth of products and technologies unmatched by other companies. This is coupled with the ability to dedicate experts, testing facilities, and investment in research and development focused on both the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries that keep us ahead of the curve and provide our customers with advanced solutions to help them meet their design challenges," says Peter Loescher, president and CEO of GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences.

GE will showcase solutions for the pharmaceutical industry at the show, including those that:

--Improve biocompatibility 

--Provide on-line total organic carbon (TOC) analysis

--Reduce the costs of pharmaceutical manufacturing

--Help companies meet regulatory requirements

--Provide automation solutions

GE Healthcare is showcasing two of its newest process-scale instrumentation for protein purification: the AKTAprocess system for chromatographic purification and the UniFlux system for membrane separation. Both systems are controlled by UNICORN software, which facilitates communication between the two as well as scale-up from smaller systems. GE Healthcare Services is demonstrating Multi-Vendor Support solutions, Labcrew(TM) Service agreements and revolutionary technologies for R&D like AssetPlus(TM), IntelliMotion(R), and Bio Insite(TM).

GE Fanuc Automation designs and manufactures industry-leading automation solutions that help life sciences companies address their manufacturing challenges while leveraging their existing technology and infrastructure investments. With the goal of helping life sciences companies improve plant productivity, product quality and operational efficiency, GE Fanuc delivers world-class solutions for the FDA-regulated environment. On display will be GE Fanuc's award winning Proficy Plant Applications Collaborative Production Management solution and the brand new Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) offering. In addition to these solutions will be HMI/SCADA Biometrics, Historian, Batch Execution and Analysis and Change Management solutions.

GE Advanced Materials, Silicones, which is continuing to develop biocompatible(1) materials for applications such as fluid and drug delivery devices, peristaltic pump tubing, transfer hose and tubing, and laboratory septa and accessories will exhibit several products and services. GE's new Tufel* III elastomer is a two-component, platinum-cure silicone elastomer that provides high resilience and elastic memory, as well as low hysteresis, for flow accuracy and improved pump life performance. GE Advanced Materials, Silicones custom formulation services provide customers with a range of material options that can be engineered to the performance, processing, and production demands unique to their requirements.

GE Water & Process Technologies, a leading manufacturer of membrane and filtration equipment, USP Water systems and utility water treatment chemicals for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets will be showcasing its ability to help customers improve profitability by reducing total water costs through customized water reuse/recycle systems.

GE Analytical Instruments, a division of GE Water & Process Technologies, is launching its new Sievers 500 RL On-Line TOC Analyzer. Utilizing the proven Sievers laboratory TOC measurement technology, the highly automated Sievers 500 RL delivers science-based risk management capability to the production floor for Process Analytical Technology and other quality initiatives such as real-time pharmaceutical water release and on-line cleaning validation.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform and treat disease, so their patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare's broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases, and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new "early health" model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $15 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 43,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

About GE Fanuc Automation

GE Fanuc Automation, a joint venture between GE and FANUC LTD of Japan, delivers automation hardware and software designed to help users reduce costs, increase efficiency and enhance profitability. With solutions and services catering to virtually every industrial segment, GE Fanuc Automation provides a diverse array of capabilities and products, including controllers, embedded systems, advanced software, motion control, CNCs, operator interfaces, industrial computers, and lasers. Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, GE Fanuc Automation is a part of GE Industrial and combines the diverse global strengths of the GE family with the local presence customers need to design, develop and maintain their automation investments. For more information, visit www.gefanuc.com or contact: GE Fanuc Information Center, P.O. Box 8106, Charlottesville, VA 22906, Phone: (800) GE FANUC (800-433-2682), Fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].

About GE Advanced Materials

The Advanced Materials business of General Electric Company is part of the Industrial business group and is headquartered in Wilton, Conn. Comprised of Silicones and Quartz, GE - Advanced Materials is a global leader in providing a range of high-technology materials solutions. The GE - Advanced Materials, Silicones' portfolio includes silicone-based products and technology platforms, silanes, sealants and adhesives. The Quartz portfolio includes high-purity fused quartz and ceramics materials. These materials solutions are used as springboards for innovation in hundreds of consumer and industrial applications ranging from car engines and integrated circuits to biomedical devices and cosmetics. Industries served include aerospace, agriculture, appliances, automotive, construction, electronics, furniture and furnishings, healthcare, home care, industrial, lighting, packaging, personal care, plastics, semiconductor, telecommunications, tire, transportation, and water purification. As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to a successful Games. Experience more at www.ge.com/advancedmaterials.

(1) USP Class VI equivalent test were tested according to USP Class VI methods: Intramuscular implantation, intracutaneous injection, and systemic injection. ISO 10993 for less than 29 days contact duration only - products tested for: Systemic Injection, Intracutaneous Injection, Intramuscular Implantation, Hemolysis - Rabbit Blood, Kligman Maximization, Ames Test, L929 MEM Elution & Agar Diffusion