Icoria's Paradigm Array Labs Unit Secures Three Contracts For Up To $1.1 Million In Revenue

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Biotechnology company Icoria, Inc. today announced that its gene expression profiling service unit Paradigm Array Labs has signed three contracts in the current quarter that are expected to generate up to $1.1 million in revenue.

Under the contracts, which are unrelated, Icoria will provide microarray expression services, analysis and reporting to Duke University, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and an unnamed biotechnology company.

"Paradigm Array Labs' broad portfolio of gene expression services, the caliber of our work for the NIEHS, and our compliance with GLP guidelines is generating new business wins for Paradigm Array Labs," said Faye O'Brien, Sr. Business Director of Icoria. "We have already exceeded 2004 revenues and are aggressively pursuing new business opportunities, including projects related to clinical trials."

The four-year Duke University contract involves work on multiple organisms for researchers at the Duke University Superfund Basic Research Center and is focused on gaining a better understanding of the mechanism by which environmental toxicants lead to adverse human and environmental effects. The two-year EPA contract is also related to environmental toxicants and will utilize a custom microarray for zebrafish designed by Icoria and produced by Agilent. The third contract for the unnamed biotech company is underway and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2006.

"Paradigm Array Lab's outstanding reputation in the toxicogenomics arena is the result of extensive work with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences," said Patrick Hurban, Ph.D., Director of Investigational Genomics. "We have expanded our product offering over the past year. We are currently performing exciting work coupling laser capture microdissection with microarray technology as well as microRNA analysis utilizing the new MirChip(TM) technology."

Dr. Hurban will be presenting "Accessing Tissue Archives through Laser Capture Microdissection Coupled with Microarrays," at Chips to Hits 2005, the 12th Annual International Conference and Exhibition in Boston on September 15. His presentation will discuss using gene expression technology to access frozen and formalin fixed tissue repositories. He will present several case histories, including one involving samples that are more than 30 years old.

About Paradigm Array Labs

Paradigm Array Labs, a service unit of Icoria, Inc., is a full-service microarray processor providing gene expression profiling services, experimental design consultation, custom microarray design and array performance testing, sample preparation, analysis and reporting to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, academic and government markets. The company is the only authorized/certified service provider for both the Affymetrix and Agilent gene expression analysis platforms and is also an Arcturus Microgenomics Service Provider. Paradigm Array Labs launched the MirChip(TM) technology with Rosetta Genomics last fall.

About Icoria

Icoria, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery of novel, multi-parameter biomarkers using its unique multi-platform approach. Icoria intends to use these future biomarkers internally to develop multi-analyte diagnostics to define and grade pathology or disease state with a high level of specificity and sensitivity, and use its technology to help collaborators and customers develop better, safer drugs and diagnostics and to identify targets, leads and drug/diagnostic combinations for liver injury, metabolic disorders and cancer. Icoria's shares trade on the over the counter bulletin board.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the Company's expectations for its healthcare based business model and its biomarker discovery platform. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, factors and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. These risks, factors and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Icoria's ability to identify biomarkers, early stage of development, history of net losses, technological and product development uncertainties, reliance on research collaborations, uncertainty of additional funding and ability to protect its patents and proprietary rights. Certain of these and other risks are identified in Icoria's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2005, March 31, 2005, as amended, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, both as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT: Media-Public Relations of Icoria, Inc., +1-919-425-2999

Web site: http://www.icoria.com//