LifeSpan BioSciences to Release 20,000 Immunohistochemistry-Validated Reagent Antibodies

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc., today announced an initiative to release 20,000 immunohistochemistry-validated reagent antibodies over the next four years. The leader in immunohistochemistry (IHC) antibody validation research since 1995, LifeSpan expanded its product focus to include the development and sale of IHC-validated antibodies in Q4 2006. To date, LifeSpan has built a catalog of more than 37,000 reagent antibodies, including more than 2,000 antibodies validated for use in immunohistochemistry. The company intends to expand its IHC-validated reagent antibody catalog at the rate of 5,000 per year.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage our leadership position in antibody validation to become the dominant provider of high-quality antibodies to the research and pharmaceutical communities”

“We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage our leadership position in antibody validation to become the dominant provider of high-quality antibodies to the research and pharmaceutical communities,” said Glenna Burmer, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive vice president of LifeSpan. “This is a very exciting time for LifeSpan. Our experience providing IHC services to over 300 pharmaceutical and biotech companies for the past 12 years positions us as uniquely capable of identifying the best antibodies for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications.”

Network of International Distributors

LifeSpan is continually expanding its worldwide distribution. The company currently distributes its antibodies through its searchable Web site (www.lsbio.com) and the following network of international distributors:

-- Abyntek Biopharma, S.L.		Spain
-- Bio-Connect BV		Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands
-- Biozol Diagnostica Vertrieb GmbH		Germany
-- Cosmo Bio		Japan
-- Dong-in Biotech Co., Ltd.		Republic of Korea
-- Enco Scientific Services Ltd.		Israel
-- Funakoshi Co., Ltd.		Japan
-- Genese Productos Diagnosticos, LTDA.		Brazil
-- GenxBio Health Sciences Pvt. Ltd.		India
-- Immuno Diagnostic Oy		Finland
-- Interchim		Europe
-- MoBiTec		Germany
-- Nordic BioSite AB		Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
-- Sapphire Bioscience Pty. Ltd.		Australasia
-- Shanghai Universal Biotech Co.		China
-- STI		Poland
-- Stratech Scientific Ltd.		Europe
-- Wako Pure Chemical Industries		Japan

Importance of Immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is widely used to visualize proteins in tissues. IHC is uniquely powerful in that it can detect any proteins encoded by the roughly 20,000 genes in the human genome, and in its ability to detect functionally important protein modifications such as phosphorylation. In addition to being a powerful research tool, IHC is used extensively to assist pathologists in making diagnoses of abnormal cells, such as those found in cancerous tumors. To visualize an antibody-antigen interaction with IHC, tissue specimens are fixed in formalin and embedded in wax, and thin sections are placed on microscope slides. After incubation with an antibody, the bound antibody is stained with a dye, and the slides are examined under a microscope by a pathologist to detect specific molecular markers.

About LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc.

LifeSpan BioSciences is the industry leader in providing immunohistochemistry (IHC) services and IHC-validated reagent antibodies to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Founded in 1995, LifeSpan has built a catalog of more than 37,000 reagent antibodies, including more than 2,000 antibodies validated for use in immunohistochemistry. LifeSpan is expanding its proprietary catalog of IHC-validated reagent antibodies at the rate of 5,000 per year. LifeSpan provides immunohistochemistry services to over 300 pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide, and sells reagent antibodies from its online catalog as well as through an expanding network of international distributors. Additional information is available at www.lsbio.com.