ChondroGene Inc. To Sponsor And Present At Medical Botechnology Symposium In Malaysia

TORONTO, March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - ChondroGene Limited today reported that it will be co-sponsoring - 2006 Biotechnology Symposium: Developing Medical Biotechnology in Malaysia, from Start-up to IPO - to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 28 and in Penang, Malaysia, on March 30. At the invitation of Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, InvestPenang and Nantah Education and Research Foundation, ChondroGene was instrumental in organizing the content and speakers for this two-day event. The symposium will feature presentations by ChondroGene executives and scientists as well as Company collaborators from Harvard Medical School, University of California at San Francisco and Pfizer Inc.

The sessions will be chaired by ChondroGene's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. C.C. Liew, the developer of the Sentinel Principle(TM) and YB Tan Sri Dato' Seri Law Hieng Ding, former Malaysia Minister for Science, Technology and the Environment. The speakers will include Dr. Wayne Marshall, President and CEO of ChondroGene, Gailina Liew, Senior Vice President of ChondroGene, Rory Riggs, Managing Member, Balfour LLC, Chairman of ChondroGene, Past President, Biomatrix Inc., Dr. Regis B. Kelly, Professor, Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco and Executive Director, Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research, San Francisco, Dr. David K. Rosen, Head of Development and Commercial Strategic Alliances, Pfizer Global Research and Development and Dr. Paul Allen, Professor of Anaesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Malaysia's 2005 National Biotechnology Policy laid out a strategy for Malaysia to become a global player in biotechnology by 2020. By that year Malaysia aims for total investment in biotechnology to reach RM 30 billion (US$ 8.1 billion) and for at least 100 Malaysian companies to be engaged in biotech innovation, contributing to an estimated 5% of GNP. During this 2006 Biotechnology Symposium, international experts in biotechnology management will offer experienced, informed advice and insights for the Malaysian biotech entrepreneur. For further information, go to www.bic.org.my.

In June 2005 ChondroGene entered into clinical collaborations with Lam Wah Ee Hospital and Island Hospital in Penang, two of the most prestigious hospitals in Malaysia and Southeast Asia and key sources of genetically diverse clinical samples for a variety of diseases. Eventually, clinicians at these institutions will offer their patients ChondroGene's molecular diagnostic tests and services based on the Sentinel Principle.

"Malaysia has made a real commitment to becoming a major player in the biotechnology sector in South East Asia," stated Malaysian-born Dr. C.C. Liew, Chief Scientific Officer of ChondroGene. "We are very pleased to be working with institutions of such prestige and expertise. We have been collecting clinical samples for diagnostic test research and development in Malaysia since last year and plan to expand our presence and efforts in the region in the coming years."

Among the key dignitaries attending the symposium will be Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Malaysian Prime Minister. The symposium is also expected to attract participants from other government agencies, hospitals and universities, private sector technology and biotechnology companies, and the investment community.

"We are pleased to be sponsoring and organizing this important symposium in Malaysia," stated K. Wayne Marshall, MD, PhD, President and CEO of ChondroGene. "We have made a significant commitment to the region which we see as not only a large potential market for our molecular diagnostic tests in the future but also a great opportunity to improve healthcare in Malaysia."

About ChondroGene

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ChondroGene is focussed on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention based on disease-specific biomarkers. The company has developed a novel approach, the Sentinel Principle, to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. ChondroGene is currently applying the Sentinel Principle in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. For more information on ChondroGene, visit www.chondrogene.com.

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CONTACT: Dr. K. Wayne Marshall, President & CEO, (416) 650-0060 x234,wmarshall@chondrogene.com; Bruno Maruzzo, Corporate Development, (416)650-0060 x237, bmaruzzo@chondrogene.com