GNSC Genaissance Pharmaceuticals (MM)

Genaissance Pharmaceuticals and Ipsogen to Offer Comprehensive Package of Pharmacogenomic Technologies for Oncology Drug Development - Biomarkers for More Focused Treatment of Cancer - NEW HAVEN, Conn., and MARSEILLE, France, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNSC) and privately-held Ipsogen announced today that the two companies had signed a co-marketing agreement, under which the companies will jointly offer an integrated package of gene expression and genotyping technologies to developers and marketers of cancer drugs. The offering will include their respective technologies, services and diagnostic capabilities. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and the market for cancer drugs is expected to grow significantly. A number of genetic changes must occur within a cell before it becomes a cancer cell. Gene expression technologies have proven useful in understanding tumor biology and in disease prognosis. The genetic background of a patient affects how that patient will respond to therapeutic agents. Using gene expression and genotyping offers the opportunity of understanding the biology of the cancer and predicting a patient's response to treatment. For example, two cancer drugs, Herceptin(R) and Gleevec(R), already use diagnostic tests to guide treatment. "This agreement brings together two complementary technologies with the potential to help developers of cancer drugs solve the complex problem of drug response and toxicity in oncology," said Vincent Fert, President and CEO of Ipsogen. "We are delighted to combine our established Oncogenomic platform for gene expression profiling with Genaissance's HAP(TM) Technology and high- throughput genotyping platform and offer, what we believe, is a unique capability in oncology." "Oncology is one of the major disease areas that Genaissance has been targeting for applying pharmacogenomics to drug development," said Krishnan Nandabalan, Ph.D., Vice President, Corporate Development of Genaissance. "We believe that Ipsogen's technology, products and services complement Genaissance's capabilities and will provide a stronger, more clinically relevant offering for the oncology marketplace." About Ipsogen Ipsogen is an emerging biotechnology company utilizing advanced technologies to analyze gene expression and to improve the disease management of cancers. Ipsogen addresses two main markets: (i) the molecular diagnosis of cancer (i.e. leukemia, lymphomas, breast cancer) by providing innovative diagnostic tools to clinical centers and (ii) the optimization of discovery and development of anti-cancer drugs by providing pharmaceutical companies with high value information at the pre-clinical and clinical stages and by accelerating drug development through biomarker discovery and validation. Headquartered in Marseille, France, Ipsogen has global partnerships and markets its product worldwide. About Genaissance Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products based on its proprietary pharmacogenomic technology and has a revenue-generating business in DNA and pharmacogenomic products and services. Genaissance also markets its proprietary FAMILION(TM) Test, designed to detect mutations responsible for causing Familial Long QT and Brugada Syndromes, two causes of sudden cardiac death. The Company's product development strategy is focused on drug candidates with promising clinical profiles and finding genetic markers to identify a responsive patient population. This strategy enables Genaissance to leverage existing clinical data and, thus, reduce the costs and risks associated with traditional drug development and increase the probability of clinical success and commercialization. The Company's lead therapeutic product, vilazodone for depression, is in Phase II of development. For more information on Genaissance, visit our website at: http://www.genaissance.com/ . This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the expected collaboration between Genaissance and Ipsogen and the package of gene expression and genotyping technologies to be co- marketed to developers and marketers of cancer drugs. Such statements are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to in such statements, including, but not limited to, the extent to which the technologies, services and diagnostic capabilities to be co-marketed by Genaissance and Ipsogen are predictive of clinical outcomes and drug response and toxicity in oncology, acceptance and adoption by the pharmaceutical industry of the technologies, services and diagnostic capabilities to be co- marketed, the amount and timing of resources that Genaissance and Ipsogen devote to their collaboration, competition from pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics companies, the strength of our intellectual property rights and those risks identified in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2004, and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of Genaissance as of the date of this release. Genaissance disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Herceptin(R) is a registered trademark of Genetech Inc. Gleevec(R) is a registered trademark of Novartis AG. DATASOURCE: Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Krishnan Nandabalan, Ph.D, Vice President, Corporate Development, Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-203-773-3445, ; or Rhonda Chiger (investors), Rx Communications, +1-917-322-2569, ; or Ipsogen SAS, Luminy Biotech Entreprises, +33-4-91-29-30-90, Web site: http://www.genaissance.com/

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