Mitsui Ventures 三井ベンチャーズ(MVC、MCVP) ベンチャーキャピタル ベンチャー 三井物産 起業

NEWS 2005

[03/21/2005]

Biolex Forms Broad Strategic Alliance With Centocor

PITTSBORO, NC, MARCH 21, 2005 Biolex, Inc., a privately held protein therapeutics company, today announced a broad-based, multi-leveled strategic alliance with Centocor,Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company, to manufacture selected proteins using the Biolex LEX System?. The alliance will leverage certain key product candidates in Centocor’s therapeutic protein pipeline, using Biolex’ innovative method to economically and rapidly both develop and scale-up these proteins. Under the terms of the agreement, Biolex will advance up to ten Centocor proteins in its patented LEX System.

Upon the commencement of the alliance, Biolex received an upfront payment for access to the LEX System. In addition, Centocor will provide Biolex funding over three years to support scaling-up certain key aspects of the LEX System.

Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC), the venture capital subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, will make an investment in Biolex’ next equity financing round and provide Biolex further investments to assist with the establishment of additional large scale GMP biomanufacturing facilities. Biolex is eligible to receive manufacturing related milestone payments from Centocor upon establishment and validation of these facilities.

For each of the up to ten therapeutic proteins developed under the alliance, Biolex will receive milestone payments related to the successful clinical advancement and regulatory approval, as well as supply fees for GMP materials. Biolex will also receive royalties on the sales of any products developed under the alliance.

"We are proud to have received this level of commitment from a leading biopharmaceutical company with a program that clearly validates the potential of the LEX System,” said Jan Turek, President and CEO of Biolex. “The magnitude of this alliance marks a major achievement for Biolex. We believe this alliance is ground breaking and unprecedented in the alternative expression system space, and we look forward to working closely with Centocor to advance these products as rapidly aspossible.”

Biolex began its initial collaboration with Centocor in May 2003. Biolex has scaled-up two Centocor antibodies in the LEX System for pre-clinical testing under subsequent expansions of the original collaboration.

Ferghana Partners Group (New York and London), a specialist investment bank in the life sciences field, advised Biolex in this alliance transaction with Centocor.

About Biolex

Biolex, Inc.is a private, venture capital-backed biopharmaceutical company. Biolex is developing recombinant human therapeutic proteins that, until now,have been impossible or very expensive to develop in existing expression systems. Biolex’ proprietary LEX System has demonstrated speed, regulatory and economic benefits with hard-to-make proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Biolex has a pipeline of proprietary products in development and its lead candidate, BLX-883, is currently in a Phase I clinical trial. Biolex also is partnering with pharmaceutical and biotechnologycompanies seeking the protein development and production benefits the LEX System offers. Biolex has entered into corporate partnerships with Centocor, Inc., Medarex, Inc.,OctoPlus and other pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies. The Company’s headquarters, research laboratories and clinical manufacturing facilities are based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Visit the Company’s web site at www.biolex.com.

Contact:

Michelle Linn, Linnden Communications, 508-419-1555, linnmich@comcast.net.