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March
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“We are pleased to broaden the availability of what we believe to be the most robust, widely-used assay in the world for scrapie susceptibility genotyping,” said David Hartshorne, commercial director of Orchid Europe. “This new offering reinforces our focus on exceptional service, whereby we work with our customers to determine the most practical and cost-effective scrapie genotyping solution for their needs, whether it be conducted in our facility or in their own laboratory.” European Union legislation requires countries to introduce compulsory scrapie genotyping programs beginning in April, 2005. Scrapie is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects sheep worldwide and has the potential to cause significant economic losses to farmers through the destruction of infected animals and by affecting confidence in the safety of the food supply. Scientists have discovered a number of genetic variations that affect an individual sheep’s susceptibility to scrapie. By selecting those sheep with high genetic resistance as breeding stock, over time farmers expect to produce flocks with greatly reduced vulnerability to the condition. Additionally, Orchid announced that it has signed an agreement with Prion Diagnostica to commercialize this new scrapie susceptibility testing kit in Italy. Headquartered in Milan, Prion Diagnostica develops and markets diagnostic products and services in a number of different veterinary and food safety applications and is a leading provider of rapid diagnostic tests for BSE, or “mad cow disease”. Italy has an estimated sheep population of over 11 million and, like most European countries, has occasionally found prion-infected sheep in its flocks. Since 2001, Orchid has been a major supplier of genotyping services to
U.K. sheep farmers under the government’s National Scrapie Plan
(NSP), which is designed to help farmers breed sheep with reduced susceptibility
to scrapie. Orchid is also the exclusive genotyping supplier to the Northern
Ireland Scrapie Plan and provides a commercial testing service directly
to farmers in the U.K. All statements in this press release
that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements
regarding: the expected impact of scrapie on the food supply and expected
outcome of breeding programs. Such statements are subject to the risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected, including, but not limited to, uncertainties relating
to technologies, product development, manufacturing, market acceptance,
cost and pricing of Orchid products and services, dependence on collaborations
and partners, regulatory approvals, competition, intellectual property
of others, patent protection, litigation and Orchid’s ability to
obtain additional financing. These risks and other additional factors
affecting Orchid’s business are discussed under the headings “Risks
Related to Our Business,” “Risks Related to the Biotechnology
Industry” and “Risks Associated with Our Common Stock”
in Orchid’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2003, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in
other filings made by Orchid with the Securities and Exchange Commission
from time to time. Orchid expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking
to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect any change in Orchid’s expectations
with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances
on which any such statements are based, except as may be required by law.
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