Oceanix Biosciences Corp. and Glaxo Wellcome Inc. Enter Into Collaborative Research and Database Access Agreement for the NovaScreen Receptor Selectivity Mapping Database.

Business Editors/Medical Writers

HANOVER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2000

Oceanix Biosciences Corporation (&uot;Oceanix&uot;) has announced today that it has entered into a collaborative research and database access agreement with Glaxo Wellcome Inc. (&uot;Glaxo Wellcome&uot;; NYSE:GLX; Research Triangle Park, NC).

Under terms of the agreement, Oceanix allows Glaxo Wellcome access to the Receptor Selectivity Mapping(TM) Database (RSMDB) being developed by NovaScreen, a unit of Oceanix. The RSMDB is a content database relating interactions between information-rich chemical compounds and disease-related molecular targets with known biological activities of the compounds. The RSMDB is a powerful new bioinformatics and chemoinformatics tool that promises to greatly enhance the efficiency of drug discovery and development.

Two broad technological advancements are currently driving drug discovery and development. First, the automation of chemical synthesis, generally referred to as combinatorial chemistry, has allowed drug companies to build huge libraries of chemical compounds, numbering in the millions, to test for potential pharmaceutical activity. Second, progress in sequencing the human genome is resulting in a tremendous increase in molecular targets associated with disease processes against which the compound libraries can be screened to find new drugs.

&uot;While these trends hold enormous promise for finding new and more effective drugs, they also are creating critical bottlenecks in pharmaceutical R&, resulting in increased costs and information overload,&uot; commented David Manyak, President &CEO of Oceanix. &uot;NovaScreen's RSMDB is designed to break through these bottlenecks by establishing a knowledge base, data mining tools, and a resultant set of statistical correlations that will permit an intelligent and directed, rather than random, approach to discovery and development of new drugs.&uot;

&uot;Molecular recognition databases such as the RSMDB, which promise to facilitate the industry's efforts to capitalize on the genomics revolution and to streamline the discovery screening process, represent the next major advance in pharmaceutical R&,&uot; added Thomas Rimele, Ph.D., Department Head of Receptor Biochemistry for Glaxo Wellcome.

The RSMDB is a knowledge base established by NovaScreen by (1) drawing on the accumulated biological information locked up in our armamentarium of drugs and failed drugs and (2) creating a high density matrix of the molecular interactions between these drugs/drug-like chemicals and molecular disease-related targets such as receptors and enzymes. An estimated 60 percent of all drugs work by interacting with receptors. Many side effects of drugs are also mediated by receptor interactions. NovaScreen has already developed nearly 200 receptor- and enzyme-based screening assays for use in creating this high-density matrix. The information matrix is statistically analyzed using bioinformatics and other proprietary mining tools to draw correlations and predictions. The RSM database has been established with an initial set of compounds and molecular targets, but will continue to expand over time. &uot;NovaScreen's objective is to build a matrix of at least 10,000 chemicals screened against more than 250 molecular targets and assemble the largest knowledge base of biological and molecular interactions in the drug industry,&uot; noted Hao Chen, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of Informatics, NovaScreen.

Under the terms of the agreement, Oceanix will provide GlaxoWellcome with non-exclusive access to the RSMDB for Glaxo Wellcome's internal use in drug discovery and development. In addition, GlaxoWellcome will provide selected compounds to Oceanix to be screened against a broad range of molecular targets included in the RSMDB. Results of this screening program will be shared between Oceanix and Glaxo Wellcome. Each party will be able to use both sets of data for refinement of data mining tools. Joint development of data mining tools may also be pursued under the research collaboration. Glaxo Wellcome will pay access fees and screening fees to Oceanix. Other terms of the agreement were not announced.

Additional subscribers to the RSMDB are being sought by Oceanix. The Company will establish web-based portals to allow its RSMDB subscribers to access the content database on a non-exclusive basis. Potential applications of the RSMDB include:

- deriving molecular recognition patterns for virtual screening,

drug design, and/or lead compound selection;

- establishing and validating relationships between in vitro 

toxicology and pharmacokinetic assays and in vivo tests to reduce

the cost, time, and potentially the need for animal testing;

- selection of optimal compound library subsets to screen against

specific molecular targets;

- identifying ligands and/or function of new gene products

discovered from genomics or proteomics programs.

Oceanix Biosciences Corp. is integrating information technology and biotechnology to provide solutions for improving the productivity of drug discovery and development. The Company's leading platform is the RSMDB, a content database of biological and molecular interactions with broad applications in drug discovery screening, lead compound selection and optimization, and genomics. Bioinformatic approaches to receptor expression and distribution, natural product biosynthesis, and other areas are being developed. Oceanix is also pursuing applications of its Combinatorial Genomics(TM) technology for accessing novel sources of natural molecules for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. More information can be found at www.oceanix.com. Oceanix's NovaScreen division is a contract research organization that provides molecular-based drug discovery and development screening services to more than 150 clients worldwide, including most major drug companies. NovaScreen pioneered the concept of Profiling drug candidates, which has become an integral component of the drug development process. With a portfolio of more than 200 developed and validated assays, NovaScreen is a worldwide leader in breadth of molecular target screening services for drug discovery and development. Further information is available at www.novascreen.com.

Glaxo Wellcome Inc., based in Research Triangle Park, NC, is one of the nation's leading research-based pharmaceutical firms. A subsidiary of London-based Glaxo Wellcome plc, the company is committed to fighting disease by bringing innovative medicines and services to patients and to the healthcare providers who serve them. More information about Glaxo Wellcome is available at www.glaxowellcome.com or by dialing 1-888-TALK2GW.