Biotage open up new business area - Molecular Imaging

Biotage open up new business area - Molecular Imaging

Molecular Imaging is an emerging market that is playing an important role to the
ongoing worldwide efforts at improving health care and cost saving in the Pharma
Industry. Biotage entered into a Molecular Imaging collaboration with McMaster
University in February 2007 and it has ever since become more and more apparent
that Biotage is significantly well positioned to become an important player
within this industry. Biotage has decided to establish itself in Molecular
Imaging to leverage on and take full advantage of its product offerings in this
challenging new business area.

SPECT/CT and PET/CT are two Imaging modalities that are growing significantly.
The processes used are technologically well aligned to Biotage's core
competences, synthesis, purification and evaporation. 

The basic process requires the incorporation of minute amounts of short half
life radio labeled compounds (“tracers” or “imaging agents”) into live subjects.
Many of these tracers have to be synthesized. The faster they are produced, the
more value can be ascribed to the outcome. Some in fact can only be synthesized
using microwave heating, a field of expertise where Biotage has a long and
successful history.

SPECT/CT tracers are frequently used in a rather crude form and most are not
subject to any form of post preparation purification. Biotage is well positioned
to provide an interesting value proposition by leveraging on existing SPE
purification platforms to provide optimal tracer performance. 

The recently launched rapid solvent evaporating system V-10, will be subject to
further development and it is believed it will play a significant role in the
production of imaging agents. 

 “Imaging is an intriguing challenge for Biotage. Biotage is uniquely positioned
to exploit these market segments. We see very interesting collaboration
possibilities in this field that will help to drive further development of
Biotage's business.” says Kelvin Hammond, Biotage's VP of Business Development.

“We believe that we can have a bit of jump start when entering into the Imaging
business. Some of the instruments in our current product line may with little
development efforts be adjusted for use in Imaging. Imaging is believed to be of
great importance not just in the growing diagnostics market but also in pharma's
drug discovery processes. The expectation is that our early efforts to provide
consumables and instruments to this “Pull Market” will accelerate the growth of
Biotage significantly.” says Torben Jørgensen, President and CEO of Biotage.

Contact:
Torben Jörgensen, President and CEO
Tel: +46 707 49 05 84, torben.jorgensen@eu.biotage.com
www.biotage.com

About Biotage 
Biotage is a global company active in life science research with strong
technologies, a broad range of operations and a long-term view of the market.
The company offers solutions, knowledge and experience in the areas of genetic
analysis and medicinal chemistry. In 2005 operations and products were acquired
from the American company Argonaut, further strengthening the medicinal
chemistry product range. The customers include the worlds top 30 pharmaceutical
companies, the worlds top 20 biotech companies, and leading academic institutes.
The company is headquartered in Uppsala and has offices in the U.S., Japan, UK,
Germany and several other European countries. Biotage has 332 employees and had
sales of 520 MSEK in 2006. Biotage is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange.
Website: www.biotage.com