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Nanogen Earns Two Patents for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Use of Biomarkers

Posted on: Monday, 17 April 2006, 09:00 CDT

SAN DIEGO, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nanogen, Inc. , developer of advanced diagnostic products, announced today that it has been issued two patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for inventions related to disease biomarkers. U.S. Patent No. 7,014,854, "Method for Retarding or Precluding Alzheimer's Dementia" claims use of immune system modulation to remove proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). An unrelated patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,015,004, relates to the isolation and use of a biomarker to diagnose metabolic syndrome.

The '854 patent for AD relates to a therapeutic model wherein the AD autoantibody to human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) can be targeted with antibodies for removal from serum. The GFAP autoantibody has been demonstrated to bring on the destruction of certain nerve cells called astrocytes, leading to AD. Removal of the GFAP autoantibody eliminates the initiation of astrocyte destruction.

The '004 patent for the metabolic syndrome biomarker, an inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor, covers the steps required to isolate the protein from body fluids such as blood, serum, saliva or urine. The patent also allows the immunological detection of the biomarker. The biomarker may be useful in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, a complex of symptoms including abdominal obesity and high cholesterol that is associated with the development of diabetes and cardiac disease.

"These patents are the result of discoveries that were made in our proteomics research programs," said Howard C. Birndorf, Nanogen chairman and chief executive officer. "These intellectual property assets can be leveraged by Nanogen to develop advanced diagnostic products and could be licensed by potential pharma partners who are looking for novel approaches to treat Alzheimer's disease or metabolic disorders."

About Nanogen, Inc.

Nanogen's advanced technologies provide researchers, clinicians and physicians worldwide with improved methods and tools to predict, diagnose, and ultimately help treat disease. The company's products include real-time PCR reagents, the NanoChip(R) electronic microarray platform and a line of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests. Nanogen's ten years of pioneering research involving nanotechnology holds the promise of miniaturization and continues to be supported for its potential for diagnostic and biodefense applications. For additional information please visit Nanogen's website at http://www.nanogen.com/.

Nanogen Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including whether patents owned or licensed by Nanogen will be developed into products, whether the patents owned by Nanogen offer any protection against competitors with competing technologies, whether products under development can be successfully developed and commercialized, whether results reported by our customers or partners can be identically replicated, and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption "Factors That May Affect Results" and elsewhere in Nanogen's Form 10-K or Form 10-Q most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Nanogen disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Nanogen, Inc.

CONTACT: Robert Saltmarsh, Chief Financial Officer of Nanogen, Inc.,+1-858-410-4600; or Pam Lord of Porter Novelli Life Sciences, Media & InvestorRelations, +1-858-527-3494, plord@pnlifesciences.com, for Nanogen, Inc.

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

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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