ACLA Aclara Biosciences, (MM)

ACLARA and Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. Enter into Antibody Supply Agreement MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and BEVERLY, Mass., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. and Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. (CST), today announced the signing of a supply and license agreement, for the use and resale by ACLARA of certain CST reagents in conjunction with ACLARA's eTag(TM) Assay System. These reagents include phospho-specific antibodies to key signaling molecules such as kinases and related materials. CST has expertise in the generation and commercialization of these types of reagents, and has built a strong reputation for quality products. Signal transduction pathways, and the molecules that comprise them, chiefly kinases, have been an important focus for cell biology research for many years. The significant role they play in directing such critical processes as cell differentiation, proliferation and death is now moving them to the forefront of pharmaceutical discovery. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two kinase inhibitors for use in certain types of cancer: Gleevec(TM) from Novartis and Iressa(R) from AstraZeneca. "We believe that, aided by highly specific antibodies such as those from CST, ACLARA's multiplexed, multi-label eTag Assay System will play an important role in the characterization of signal transduction pathways in cells and tissues, and the development of novel medicines targeting these pathways," stated Michael Dunn, ACLARA's chief business officer. The eTag system permits precise and reproducible quantification of the activation state of kinases and other phosphoproteins in complex biological samples, information that is very important to researchers probing cellular pathways." "Cell Signaling Technology is very excited about ACLARA's eTag technology as an important discovery application for our antibodies," said Christopher Bunker, CST's director of business development. "CST's antibodies provide superior content that enable the unique types of cellular analysis only possible with the eTag platform, and we anticipate that this technology will be critical in advancing research toward targeted therapeutics." About the eTag Assay System The eTag Assay System is a high performance, high throughput system for the simultaneous measurement of 10's to 100's of genes, proteins, and cell-based antigens across thousands of samples. The eTag platform makes it possible for researchers to measure multiple aspects of a complex biological system, enabling the study of gene expression, protein expression, cell signaling and pathway activation, protein-protein interaction, post-translational modifications and cell receptor binding -- all in the same sample and with the same platform. The system uses ACLARA's proprietary eTag reporters to multiplex the analysis of genes and/or proteins. Specific molecular binding events result in the release of electrophoretically distinct eTag reporters, which are then resolved by standard capillary electrophoresis to provide precise, sensitive quantitation of multiple analytes -- directly from cell lysates of cultured or primary cells, as well as fresh and fixed tissue samples. ACLARA's eTag Assay System is being commercialized for use both in drug discovery research and to support preclinical and clinical development of specific targeted therapies. These programs allow scientists to utilize eTag reagent products, software, and services. For multiplexed gene expression, ACLARA uses eTag Multiplex Invader(R) Assays, which incorporate Invader technology and Cleavase(R) enzyme and are licensed for use from Third Wave Technologies, Inc. About ACLARA ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. is developing advanced tools for drug discovery and development using its proprietary eTag assay platform. The Company's products provide researchers with decision-critical information for drug development, which previously was difficult or impossible to obtain. The solution-phase eTag Assay System is cost-effective, easy-to-use and flexible, and enables highly accurate, precise and sensitive analysis of genes and/or proteins from limited amounts of biological samples. Importantly, researchers can use their existing instrument platforms to perform eTag analyses. More information on ACLARA can be obtained on the Company's web site at http://www.aclara.com/. About Cell Signaling Technology Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. has expertise and the market leadership position in the development and commercialization of phospho-specific antibodies for kinase and pathway activation measurement. CST's phospho-specific antibodies are validated on an array of cellular and biochemical assay platforms and are critical reagents used in basic biomedical research, pharmaceutical drug discovery, and clinical pathology. More information on CST can be obtained at the Company's web site at http://www.cellsignal.com/ Forward Looking Statement All statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. Such forward-looking statements are subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially for ACLARA from those projected. Those factors include risks and uncertainties relating to the performance of the Company's products, product development, development and commercialization efforts, successful establishment of and performance under collaborative and commercial agreements, adoption of its technologies by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, the validity and enforceability of patents, the possible infringement of the intellectual property of others, technological approaches of ACLARA and its competitors, and other risk factors identified in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Trademarks ACLARA BioSciences, eTag, and the ACLARA logo are trademarks of ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. Invader and Cleavase are registered trademarks of Third Wave Technologies, Inc. Gleevec and Iressa are trademarks of Novartis and AstraZeneca, respectively. DATASOURCE: ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. CONTACT: Alfred Merriweather, VP, Finance and CFO of ACLARA BioSciences, Inc., +1-650-210-1200, or Web site: http://www.cellsignal.com/ Web site: http://www.aclara.com/

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