Biotage AB joins forces with MultiSynTech GmbH and enters the peptide synthesis business

Biotage AB joins forces with MultiSynTech GmbH and enters the peptide synthesis
business

Biotage today announced that the company will enter the peptide synthesis
business, through two new agreements with German company MultiSynTech GmbH. The
agreements concern both the distribution rights for MultiSynTech's systems and
the establishment of a joint development project.

The agreements with MultiSynTech will grant Biotage distribution rights for all
current MultiSynTech peptide synthesis systems. Biotage and MultiSynTech have
also agreed on a joint development project to design and market a new
microwave-aided peptide synthesis system, which will increase yield and speed in
peptide synthesis. 

Demand for synthetic peptides is currently growing rapidly. The peptide
synthesizer market is estimated at SEK 150m and is growing at double digit rate.
In the research phase, biochemists need increasingly longer, more complex
peptides to study protein interactions, produce peptide antibodies, and
understand complex disease states.  As the number and complexity of peptides
increase, the biochemists need new tools that offer higher productivity and
increased performance. 

The Biotage - MultiSynTech collaboration will create those new tools that
University and biopharmaceutical peptide research groups and contract peptide
labs need to meet the new challenges in peptide synthesis. Biotage will be
uniquely positioned to offer both parallel synthesis and microwave synthesis
capability to address the full range of needs. 

“We look forward to working in close collaboration with Biotage. Biotage has a
proven sales and support team that dramatically expands our coverage outside
Central Europe, and really opens opportunities for our current products in USA,
UK, Nordic and Asian regions.” says Udo Treffer, CEO of MultiSynTech.

“MultiSynTech is the clear leader in robotic peptide synthesis. This joint
development project will combine the proven performance of the current
MultiSynTech robotic synthesizer with Biotage microwave technology in a unique
integrated system.” says Torben Jørgensen, CEO of Biotage.

Contact:
Torben Jörgensen, President and CEO
Tel: +46 707 49 05 84, torben.jorgensen@eu.biotage.com

About Biotage 
Biotage is a global company active in life science research with strong
technologies, a broad range of operations and a long-term view of the market.
The company offers solutions, knowledge and experience in the area of medicinal
chemistry. In 2005 business and products from the company Argonaut were
acquired, further strengthening the product range in medicinal chemistry. The
customers include the worlds top 30 pharma companies, the worlds top 20 biotech
companies, and leading academic institutes. The company is headquartered in
Uppsala and has subsidiaries in the U.S., Japan, UK, Germany and several other
European countries. Biotage has 292 employees at the end of 2008 and had sales
of SEK 497,8m in 2008. Biotage is listed on the OMX Nordic stock exchange.
Website: www.biotage.com