IntegraGen Works With the Fondation Autisme to Create a DNA Sample Databank

Paris, France; 24 May 2005….. IntegraGen, the personalised medicines company, announced today that it will be using DNA samples collected by the newly formed Fondation Autisme to validate its genetic test for autism, expected to become available in 2006. The company is supporting the French-based Fondation with a donation and by providing assistance in creating a databank and repository of DNA samples collected from families with an autistic child. These samples, along with accompanying clinical data, will be freely available to the scientific community to stimulate collaborative research with a view to determining the genetic causes of autism.

Jan Mous, CEO at IntegraGen said: “With IntegraGen’s help, the Fondation Autisme aims to collect DNA samples from 200 French families with autistic children over the next 12 months creating an invaluable resource for the global autism research community. IntegraGen will be one of the first organisations to benefit from the databank, as it will help us to validate our genetic test for autism, significantly speeding its progress into the clinic. Autism is widely thought to be increasing in prevalence and may affect as many as one in 150 children. There is agreement within the clinical and research community that earlier diagnosis increases the chances for a successful therapy. A genetic diagnosis, as developed by IntegraGen, will be a first step forward in this direction.”

To create the sample databank, the Fondation Autisme has also formed a partnership with Cure Autism Now (CAN), a foundation committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism.

Using samples from US families provided by the Autism Genetics Resource Exchange (AGRE), a part of CAN, researchers at IntegraGen have already identified 12 genes associated with autism and the first results of this work have been submitted for publication. The Company has used this information to develop its genetic test for susceptibility to autism. The test is currently undergoing extensive clinical validation and is expected to be available in 2006. Earlier and more accurate diagnosis of autism in young children will allow direct interventional therapy to be given at the earliest possible age, when it is of greatest potential benefit.

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About IntegraGen

IntegraGen SA uses its unique genomic analysis expertise to identify genes associated with complex diseases and to develop diagnostic and predictive genetic tests. The Company applies its innovative gene mapping technology, GenomeHIP® (Genome Hybrid Identity Profiling), to rapidly discover genetic loci that are implicated in complex, multi-factorial diseases. GenomeHIP® is a major advance that overcomes the limitations of existing marker based familial linkage study methods.

IntegraGen is applying its discoveries to develop a series of innovative IntegraTests™ and is poised to become a leader in the rapidly growing field of predictive medicine. The Company will be a fully integrated provider of genetic tests that can be used to predict, prevent, diagnose and tailor personalized treatments for complex diseases. Testing will be provided as a service through Expert Centers, which will also provide expert analysis and genetic counseling from an accredited MD-geneticist. The Company’s first Expert Center has been established in Bonn, Germany, to provide the Company’s first testing service for MODY diabetes (Mature Onset Diabetes of the Young) testing. The Bonn center will become fully operational in April this year.

The Company's strategy is to develop molecular diagnostic tools for selected disease areas with high medical need. IntegraGen's in-house programs are focused on neurological disorders, including autism and bi-polar disorder, and metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The IntegraTest for autism, the world’s first genetic test for autism, is currently in the clinical validation phase of development, with an anticipated launch in 2006. The Company’s IntegraTest for type-2 diabetes is expected to enter clinical validation in 2006.

Founded in July 2000, IntegraGen has 34 employees and is based in the French Genopole of Evry, near Paris, France, and in Bonn, Germany.

More information can be found at www.integragen.com

About the Fondation Autisme

The Fondation Autisme «Agir et Vaincre» was founded by families with autistic children. The objective of the foundation is to advance research in autism in France and abroad and to provide the clinical and diagnostic possibilities for autistic children, already available in other countries, in France.

More information can be found at www.fondation-autisme.org

About Cure Autism Now

Cure Autism Now (CAN) is an organization of parents, clinicians and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism through raising money for research projects, education and outreach. Founded by parents of children with autism in 1995, the organization has grown from a kitchen-table effort to the largest provider of support for autism research and resources in the country. The organization's primary focus is to fund essential research through a variety of programs designed to encourage innovative approaches toward identifying the causes, prevention, treatment and a cure for autism and related disorders.

Since its founding, Cure Autism Now has committed over $20 million in research, the establishment and ongoing support of the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), and numerous outreach and awareness activities aimed at families, physicians, governmental officials and the general public.