Pyrosequencing granted patent for diagnostics and therapeutic responses in cardiovascular disease

PYROSEQUENCING GRANTED PATENT FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPEUTIC RESPONSES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE - Strong IP provides foundation for advancing molecular diagnostics business - Uppsala, Sweden, May 23, 2001-Pyrosequencing AB (Stockholm: PYRO A) today announced that it has been issued a patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,197,505, covering a method for assessing cardiovascular status, including myocardial infarction and stroke. The method involves patterns of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with cardiovascular disease. The patent also covers the use of these SNP patterns to predict responses to cardiovascular drugs such as anti- hypertensives. The Company's recently-launched molecular diagnostics business will be pursuing opportunities in cardiovascular disease, a market estimated to be over $300 billion in 2000. "Pyrosequencing continues to demonstrate leadership in the applied genomics market as the most widely-used genotyping solution," said Erik Walldén, CEO and President of Pyrosequencing AB. "The ability to develop clinical applications of our technology such as valuable diagnostic assays is essential to our success in the emerging field of molecular diagnostics." The patent describes the use of genetic polymorphic patterns within the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, the angiotensin (AGT) gene and the angiotensin II receptor type I (AT1) gene to identify factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. Pyrosequencing's patent also covers the use of polymorphic patterns in the ACE, AGT and AT1 genes for the purpose of predicting the likelihood that a patient will respond to certain cardiovascular drug therapies. ACE inhibitor drugs (such as captopril) and angiotensin receptor antagonists (such as losartan) are frequently prescribed for patients with hypertension or high blood pressure. "There are tremendous opportunities to apply Pyrosequencingtm in the clinical markets where combining diagnostics with therapeutics could lead to more effective medical treatments. This is the promise of pharmacogenomics," said Jerry Williamson, Vice President, Global Diagnostics Business. "Our approach to molecular diagnostics is to aggressively pursue opportunities in attractive markets such as cardiovascular disease by partnering with leading research and commercial organizations to develop medical tests that assess disease risk and predict drug responses." The prevalence of hypertension in the U.S. alone is estimated to be more than 50 million and health care expenditures attributed to cardiovascular disease were estimated at $327 billion in 2000, according to government figures. Furthermore, according to clinical results from the landmark Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) Study (L. Hansson et al., The Lancet, 1998), 68 percent of the nearly 19,000 patients followed required more than one anti-hypertensive drug to achieve and maintain their target blood pressure. The Company believes that diagnostics tests that enable pysicians to more accurately select effective anti-hypertensive drugs for their patients would be extremely valuable. About Pyrosequencing AB Pyrosequencing AB develops, manufactures and sells complete solutions for applied genetic analysis based on its proprietary Pyrosequencingtm technology, a simple-to-use DNA sequencing technique. In the post-genome era, Pyrosequencing's technology has established the Company as one of the leading suppliers of solutions for accurate, consistent DNA analysis in research institutions and pharmaceutical, genomics and agbiotech companies. For the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the PSQtm96 System with SNP Software and Reagent Kits is used by customers such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Karolinska Institute and DuPont Agriculture. The Company's Sequence Analysis Software and Reagent Kits together with the PSQ 96 System are used for the identification of gene-specific DNA sequences for applications such as bacterial and viral typing where speed and ease of use are essential. The Company is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden with North American operations located in Westborough, Massachusetts. Pyrosequencing AB also has sales offices and distribution partners in Europe, Japan and the Middle East. Pyrosequencing AB is listed on the OM Stockholm Exchange. The Company's web address is www.pyrosequencing.com. 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," "intend," and "should," among others. These forward- looking statements are based on Pyro-sequencing'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, Pyrosequencing 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. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations), variability of operating results, the commercial development of the DNA sequencing and genomics market, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets, competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in demand for Pyrosequencing's products (including seasonal fluctuations), difficulties in successfully adapting the Company's products to integrated solutions and producing such products, and the Company's ability to identify and develop new products and to differentiate its products from competitors. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pyrosequencing AB Erik Walldén Theresa McNeely, Sr. Director President & CEO Investor and Public Relations erik.wallden@pyrosequencing.com tmcneely@pyrosequencing.com Phone: +46 18 565902 or 070-326 98 70 Phone: +1 877 797 6767 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/23/20010523BIT00500/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/23/20010523BIT00500/bit0001.pdf