GNSC Genaissance Pharmaceuticals (MM)

Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Signs Research Agreement With Sygen International - Collaboration to Accelerate Genetic Discovery Across Three Meat Animal Species - NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNSC) announced today that it had signed a research agreement with Sygen International plc (London Stock Exchange: SNI.L). Under the terms of the agreement, Sygen, a world leader in applying quantitative genetics and biotechnology to animal breeding, will collaborate with Genaissance and use its high-throughput genotyping capabilities to accelerate Sygen's genetic discoveries in three meat animal species. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is engaged in the discovery and use of human gene variation for the development of a new generation of deoxyribonucleic acid-based (DNA-based) diagnostic and therapeutic products. The Company has developed a combination of technologies and expertise that it calls its HAP(TM) Technology, which allows population genomics to be integrated into the development, marketing and prescribing of new and existing medicines. "We chose Genaissance because of their proven capability and reputation for providing high quality and accelerated genotyping services," said Dr. Graham Plastow, Sygen's Chief Technology Officer. Sygen's technology, products and services enable producers and farmers to enhance meat quality and improve efficiency in the production of meat animals. Sygen applies a unique combination of quantitative genetics and biotechnology to animal selection and breeding, which allow farmers and their customers to produce higher quality and healthier non-GMO meat products, and add value throughout the global meat supply chain of farmers, producers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers. Sygen's subsidiary company, PIC International, is the largest supplier of breeding stock to pig farmers in North America. Its other subsidiary company, SyAqua, is also a world-leading supplier in shrimp breeding stock. "We are delighted to be working with Sygen, the world leader in applying genomics to selective breeding," said Gerald F. Vovis, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Genaissance. "We believe that contracts, such as this one with Sygen, help to expand our growing presence in the Ag genotyping market." About Sygen Sygen International plc is a world leader in applying quantitative genetics and biotechnology to animal breeding. The company's technology, products and services enable producers and farmers to enhance meat quality and improve efficiency in the production of meat animals. Sygen applies a unique combination of quantitative genetics and biotechnology to animal selection and breeding, which is applicable across all livestock species. Sygen's products and services, which allow farmers and producers to produce higher quality and healthier non-GMO meat products, add value throughout the global meat supply chain of farmers, producers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers. Headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK, Sygen companies operate in 30 countries on five continents, with laboratories located in Kentucky, USA, and Cambridge, UK. For more information, visit http://www.sygeninternational.com/. PIC, a division of Sygen, is the international leader in providing genetically superior pig breeding stock and technical support for maximizing genetic potential to commercial pork producers. Operating for over 40 years, PIC's success is attributed to its thorough concentration on, and significant investment in, all aspects of genetics, technology and health. For more information, visit http://www.pic.com/. SyAqua, a division of Sygen, is a world-leading supplier of shrimp breeding stock. It was established in 2002 as Sygen's aquaculture division. SyAqua operates Genetic Nucleus Facilities in Hawaii and Mexico and conducts research at its laboratory in Kentucky, USA. It also operates businesses in Mexico, Thailand and Brazil. For more information, visit http://www.syaqua.com/. 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 growth and development of Genaissance's business, such as Genaissance's efforts to conduct genotyping services to track the origin of animals, to enter the U.S. and European animal genotyping market and to build a drug candidate pipeline, the timing and outcome of its genetic testing programs, the ability of Genaissance to apply its technologies to the development, marketing and prescribing of drugs and Genaissance's ability to detect associations between clinical outcomes and genetic variation. 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 genetic markers (haplotypes) are predictive of clinical outcomes and drug efficacy and safety, the attraction of new business and strategic partners, the adoption of our technologies by the pharmaceutical industry, the acceptance of our cardiac tests by health care providers, the timing and success of clinical trials, 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. DATASOURCE: Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Gerald F. Vovis, Ph.D., Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-203-786-3423, ; Investors - Rhonda Chiger of Rx Communications, +1-917-322-2569, , for Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Web site: http://www.genaissance.com/ http://www.syaqua.com/ http://www.sygeninternational.com/ http://www.pic.com/

Copyright