STGN Stratagene Corp (MM)

Stratagene Corporation (NASDAQ:STGN), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialized life science research and diagnostic products, today announced that it has obtained an exclusive option to evaluate and license a family of patents and patent applications controlled by AROS Applied Biotechnology ("AROS") of Denmark. Under the terms of the agreement, Stratagene will have the right to evaluate and exclusively license the rights to certain gene groups that have been shown to have predictive capabilities for certain cancers. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "We are very excited about this new agreement with AROS, a leader in gene analysis and PCR-based testing," said Joseph A. Sorge, MD, President and CEO of Stratagene. "In addition to our ongoing relationships with Bayer Healthcare, Focus Diagnostics and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, we regard this new agreement as another significant milestone for our molecular diagnostics growth strategy. Our relationship with Bayer Healthcare currently focuses on customization of our leading-edge Mx3005P instrument systems for use on Bayer's molecular diagnostics testing platform. Focus Diagnostics is utilizing our technology, expertise and manufacturing capabilities to develop selected molecular diagnostics kits and products based on certain proprietary FullVelocity technologies. With the addition of AROS, we believe we have taken another important step in executing the third facet of our molecular diagnostics strategy, which is focused on developing Stratagene-branded test kits and products." AROS is headed by Torben F. Orntoft, a co-founder and CEO of AROS Applied Biotechnology, Chief Physician in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital and Professor of Molecular Cancer Diagnostics, University of Aarhus in Denmark. Mr. Orntoft has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and specializes in translating molecular oncology diagnostics to array platforms. "Exclusive access to this innovative intellectual property will enable us to continue to progress with our molecular diagnostics strategy," continued Dr. Sorge. "By using sets of genes that have predictive capabilities for bladder cancer, we believe that we will be able to internally develop diagnostic test kits, which should enable the detection of cancer at an earlier stage than is now possible and provide invaluable guidance to doctors as they make therapeutic decisions to treat cancers. We believe that this intellectual property, with its important implications for a variety of cancers, uniquely positions us to bring to market technology that will serve unmet needs within molecular diagnostics." About AROS Applied Biotechnology AROS is a contract research organization and service laboratory offering molecular testing to industry and universities worldwide. Services include sample banking, extraction of molecules, Microarray analysis, PCR-based testing and large clinical studies. For more information, visit www.arosab.com. About Stratagene Corporation Stratagene is a developer, marketer and manufacturer of specialized life science research and diagnostic products. The Company's life science research unit supports advances in science by inventing, manufacturing and distributing products that simplify, accelerate and improve research. These products are used throughout the academic, industrial and government research sectors in fields spanning molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, drug discovery and toxicology. The Company's diagnostic unit develops and manufactures products for urinalysis, and high quality automated instrument and reagent systems that use blood samples to test for more than 1,000 different allergies and autoimmune disorders. In addition, by combining its expertise in diagnostics and molecular biology, as well as its experience with FDA regulatory procedures, the Company is pursuing opportunities to expand its product portfolio to include molecular diagnostic kits and instrumentation. More information is available at www.stratagene.com. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this news release that are not historical fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Stratagene generally identifies forward-looking statements by using words like "believe," "intend," "target," "expect," "estimate," "may," "should," "plan," "project," "contemplate," "anticipate," "predict" or similar expressions. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategies, plans or intentions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results of Stratagene to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by the forward-looking statements are risks associated with the company's inability to sufficiently anticipate market needs and develop products and product enhancements that achieve market acceptance, the company's ability to compete effectively in the diagnostics and life science research markets, variability of the company's quarterly revenues and operating results, the failure of the company to retain key employees, the company's ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing, the possibility of declining sales due in part to a reduction in research and development budgets or government funding, the company's ongoing ability to protect its own intellectual property rights and to avoid violating the intellectual property rights of third parties, extended manufacturing difficulties and currency fluctuations. For more information about these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by the forward-looking statements please see Item "1A. Risk Factors" included in Stratagene's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and in other reports filed by Stratagene from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.