SomaLogic and Celera Announce Research Collaboration Agreement.

Business Editors/Medical Writers

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BOULDER, Colo. & ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 16, 2001

SomaLogic, a privately held Boulder, Colo.-based proteomics company, announced that it has signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Celera Genomics (NYSE:CRA), an Applera Corporation business. The agreement provides Celera early access to aptamers and aptamer arrays developed through SomaLogic's proprietary SELEX process and provides SomaLogic access to sequencing and proteins for developing aptamers.

SomaLogic's aptamer technology is based on the use of nucleic acids that bind to distinct proteins with great specificity and sensitivity. Assembled in an array format, this approach enables the simultaneous detection of hundreds or thousands of proteins from biological fluids, including proteins associated with certain diseases. The ability of aptamer arrays to link proteins with specific diseases is expected to play a significant role in disease diagnosis and treatment.

"SomaLogic's aptamer technology complements our genomics and proteomics programs by providing a unique approach for identifying expression and function of multiple proteins likely to play a role in major disease," said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., Celera's president and chief scientific officer. "This agreement should strengthen our proteomics capability and helps our expansion in drug discovery."

"SomaLogic is capitalizing on the availability of gene sequence information and aptamer technology to transform research proteomics and clinical diagnostics," said Larry Gold, Ph.D., SomaLogic's founder and chief executive officer. "Celera's comprehensive sequencing capabilities and extensive protein library are key to our strategy. As we build a commercial diagnostics business based on our proprietary aptamer technology, we expect to develop additional collaborations with other companies with expertise in proteomics and protein expression, as well as with providers of platform technologies for our aptamer arrays and systems."

About SomaLogic

SomaLogic was established in 1999 to advance ten years of aptamer research in the development of proprietary, comprehensive diagnostic tools in the proteomics arena. The specificity of aptamers allows them to distinguish between even closely related proteins, a key advantage for large-scale comprehensive diagnostics and for research proteomics. In addition to the superior specificity and affinity of aptamers, their advantages over current capture agent technologies include direct detection and cost efficiency. The company has worldwide exclusive rights to the aptamer patent estate for use in in vitro diagnostics, including more than 130 U.S. patents and applications.

SomaLogic is revolutionizing research proteomics and clinical diagnostics with its proprietary aptamers, which are identified through the SELEX(TM) process. While existing technologies lack the capabilities that are essential for the comprehensive, high-throughput detection of disease-related proteins, the company's aptamer technology has the necessary specificity, sensitivity, and affinity to detect proteins at low concentrations, providing an extremely reliable and cost-effective protein quantification method for tracking disease processes. Building on its research proteomics foundation, SomaLogic's commercial diagnostics platform will put it at the forefront of the next wave of the proteomics arena -- screening, diagnosis and disease management -- enabling physicians to better diagnose diseases at earlier stages for more effective treatments for patients. The company is headquartered in Boulder, Colo. More information about the company can be found at http://www.somalogic.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include SomaLogic's prospects for favorable growth and performance. The statements made by SomaLogic, Inc. are based on management's present expectations and actual results may differ from the results indicated or otherwise implied by such forward-looking statements due to certain risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our ability to secure funding to execute our business plan, our ability to gain market share by establishing the effectiveness of our products, the intense competition in research proteomics and commercial diagnostics, and general industry or business trends or events. These risk factors may not be an all-inclusive enumeration of the business risks faced by SomaLogic, Inc. These statements made by the management of SomaLogic, Inc. and summarized above represent their views as of the date of this press release, and it should not be assumed that the statements made herein remain accurate as of any future date. SomaLogic, Inc. does not presently intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to effect any such update under any circumstances.

About Celera

Applera Corporation comprises two operating groups. The Celera Genomics Group, an integrated source of genomic and related medical information headquartered in Rockville, Md., is evolving to become a next generation diagnostic and therapeutic discovery company. Celera intends to leverage its industrialized approach to biology to develop platforms for enabling these new discoveries both for subscribers and for its own internal product development. The Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI) develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software, and contract services to the life science industry and research community. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, Calif., and reported sales of $1.6 billion during fiscal 2001. Celera Diagnostics has been established as a joint venture between Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics. This new venture is focused on discovery, development and commercialization of novel diagnostic tests. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available on the World Wide Web at www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800/762-6923.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "estimated," and "potential," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Applera Corporation's current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Applera Corporation notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risks factors include but are not limited to (1) a unique and expanding business plan; (2) uncertainty of revenue growth; (3) heavy reliance on strategic relationship with the Applied Biosystems Group; (4) potential liabilities related to use of hazardous materials; (5) dependence on the unique expertise of its scientific and management staff; (6) uncertainty and availability of patent, copyright, and intellectual property protection and the ability to protect trade secrets; (7) dependence on computer hardware, software, and internet applications; (8) access to biological materials; (9) legal, ethical, and social issues affecting demand for products; (10) disruptions caused by rapid growth of the business; (11) government regulation of its products and services; (12) lengthy and uncertain development cycle for therapeutic and diagnostic products; (13) failure to close the proposed acquisition of Axys Pharmaceuticals, or Celera's inability to successfully integrate Axys' operations; (14) other factors that might be described from time to time in Applera Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note to Editors: Applera, Celera, Celera Genomics, and Celera Discovery System are trademarks and Applied Biosystems is a registered trademark of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the US and certain other countries.