Signet Laboratories, Inc. Announces License Agreement With Bayer Diagnostics For Urinary Trypsin Inhibitor Immunoassays To Further Research Inflammatory Disease

DEDHAM, Mass., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Signet Laboratories, Inc., a leading medical diagnostics/research company specializing in the development of monoclonal antibodies and diagnostic assays for cancer, infectious disease, and neurodegenerative disease, today announced a license agreement with Bayer Diagnostics to conduct research on Urinary Trypsin Inhibitor Immunoassays.

Discovered by Bayer scientists, the immunoassays detect two markers of inflammation, uristatin (Uri) and bikunin (Bik), found in blood and urine. Acute Inflammation can result from a number of illnesses including sepsis, meningitis, respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, viral infection, and bacterial infection. Chronic inflammation is often associated with diabetes mellitus, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, kidney diseases, and certain auto-immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and organ failure.

"Signet will evaluate the utility of the trypsin inhibitors as biomarkers for acute renal failure in pilot trials that are underway with a view toward developing them into companion assays for the Nephroscreen ELISA kit currently offered by Signet," said Dr. Peggy Taylor, VP of Production and Development, Signet Laboratories, Inc. Nephroscreen is an RUO assay that may predict the onset of Acute Renal Failure (ARF), based on quantitation of urine levels of Adenosine deaminase binding protein, a brush border protein that is shed in response to nephrotoxicity.

"Inflammation is the body's protective response to an injury. If the response goes unchecked, however, it can negatively affect vital organs. For example, inflammation of the kidney may cause kidney failure. The trypsin inhibitors Uri and Bik are cutting-edge biomarkers that can have a great impact on the diagnosis and management of diseases for inflammation, such as kidney disease," said Dr. Michael Pugia, director of Urinalysis R&D, Bayer Diagnostics. "We are confident that with Signet's expertise in developing important immunoassays for medical researchers, these markers will one day improve and manage health in people affected by inflammatory diseases."

About Signet Laboratories, Inc.

Signet Laboratories, Inc. (Dedham, MA) is a leading medical diagnostics/research company specializing in the development of monoclonal antibodies and diagnostic assays for cancer, infectious disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Signet was created in 1989 as a commercial spinout of Johnson & Johnson's Cambridge Research Laboratories, Inc.

The Company was founded to continue the mission originally established at CRL -- the early detection and recurrence monitoring of patients with cancer and infectious disease. Signet has developed patented technology for diagnosis and recurrence monitoring and for risk assessment of asymptomatic patients in these areas. For more than a decade, the Company has aggressively maintained

licensing and development programs, which are responsible for its broad patent and intellectual property estate.

About Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Division

Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Division (http://www.bayerdiag.com), based in Tarrytown, New York, U.S.A., is one of the largest diagnostic businesses in the world. The organization supports customers in 100 countries through an extensive portfolio of laboratory testing, molecular testing and near patient care diagnostics systems and services for use in the assessment and management of health, including the areas of cardiovascular and kidney disease, oncology, virology and women's health. Bayer HealthCare Diagnostics Division's global headquarters in the United States operates as part of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a member of the worldwide Bayer HealthCare group.

About Bayer HealthCare AG

Bayer HealthCare AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry.

In 2004, the Bayer HealthCare subgroup generated sales amounting to some 8.5 billion Euro. The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care, Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Bayer HealthCare employed 35,300 people worldwide in 2004.

Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. The products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

Contact Information Signet Company Contact Bayer Company Contact Colleen Scott Susan Oelerking Signet Laboratories, Inc. Bayer Diagnostics 180 Rustcraft Road 511 Benedict Avenue Dedham, MA 02026 Tarrytown, NY 10591-5097 Phone: 781.915.1404 Phone: 914.366.1807 Fax: 781.461.2456 Fax: 914.366.1882 http://www.signetlabs.comhttp://www.bayerdiag.comcscott@signetlabs.com

Signet Laboratories, Inc.

CONTACT: Colleen Scott of Signet Laboratories, Inc., +1-781-915-1404,cscott@signetlabs.com; or Susan Oelerking of Bayer Diagnostics,+1-914-366-1807

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