ethica Clinical Research Inc. Acquires Exclusive Worldwide Rights for Proprietary, Intelligent Data Analysis Technology From Matrix Pharma Canada Inc.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - September 30, 2009) - ethica Clinical Research Inc. (“ethica”), a Contract Research Organization (CRO) headquartered in Montreal, and Matrix Pharma Canada Inc. (“Matrix Pharma”), have announced the signing of an agreement, valued at CAD1.25 Million, that provides ethica with an exclusive, worldwide license to promote and use Matrix Pharma’s proprietary research data analysis technology for life sciences applications, notably for the identification and optimization of biomarkers.

Matrix Pharma’s technology is based on a unique form of artificial intelligence created by its CTO, Dr. Marcel Thurk, who completed his doctoral thesis under the tutelage of Nobel Prize winner Prof. Manfred Eigen, and who is one of the world’s leading authorities in the area of theoretical biochemistry. This technology will be commercialized by ethica under the brand eidyia™ (pronounced “eye-dee-ya”), a name that is derived from the Greek word “eido” meaning “to see” or “to know”.

eidya™ acts as a hypothesis generator. It is able to extract interdependencies, correlations, and predictive models from complex data sets that conventional statistical tools are unable to detect. eidyia™'s sophisticated informatics platform evolves, adapts, and interacts with the data to self-generate computer code. It ultimately yields simplified algorithms that explain and predict the complex interdependencies, correlations, and models that lie within the data. Once identified by eidyia™, these relationships are validated by ethica’s dedicated team of biostatisticians using conventional statistical analysis techniques.

eidyia™ has already yielded successful results in a series of clinical applications such as identifying biomarkers, optimizing the predictive power of biomarkers, identifying responder/non-responder indices, genotype-phenotype linkages, elaborating models for early diagnosis, and for classifying participants in Phase II clinical trials for the optimization of Phase III clinical trials.

Dr. Janice Parente, Founder and President of ethica states that “ethica is excited to be the first and only CRO to have access to this technology that is so transformational in its approach.” According to Dr. Parente, “eidyia has the potential to revolutionize the way companies use the vast quantities of clinical data that have been and continue to be collected.”

According to Sion Balass, CEO of Matrix Pharma, “The fact that ethica’s business culture is rooted in innovation and a commitment to quality made them the ideal partner for us. We wanted a partner who understood the potential of the technology and who was looked upon as an industry leader to promote its benefits.”

ethica intends to offer eidyia™ to its clients for the analysis of their clinical data sets. The results of the analysis will help in a variety of ways including the improvement of clinical trial design and the identification of potential biomarkers (a critical component of personalized healthcare).

About ethica Clinical Research Inc.

Founded in 2002, ethica is a contract research organization (CRO) that conducts all clinical phases of ethical research for new and innovative treatments on behalf of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and natural health product industries. ethica provides a complete range of services from conceptualization of a clinical study design to managing research physicians, their staff, their data, and analysis of data. Veritas IRB is a non-profit division of ethica that reviews clinical research proposals to ensure they are ethically viable and conducted responsibly. In 2006, ethica became the first CRO in the world to become accredited by AAHRPP (Association for the Accreditation of Research Protection Programs) and remains unique in this distinction today. Under the leadership and vision of ethica’s President, Janice E. Parente, PhD, ethica has become one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies, with operations in India and Argentina, and a leader in research participant protection. For further information visit: www.ethicaclinical.com.

About Matrix Pharma

Matrix Pharma is a privately-owned, Canadian-registered pharmaceutical company that employs a proprietary drug discovery process that generates high-quality drug candidates and delivers solutions across the drug discovery and development value chain. Approaching the drug discovery challenge from a unique perspective, this process radically improves the economics of drug discovery and positions Matrix Pharma as a leading provider of validated drug candidates in the pharmaceutical sector. For further information visit: www.matrix-as.com.