Bangalore, India: December 21, 2011

Clinigene International Limited, a subsidiary of Biocon, India's largest Biotech Company, and Pacific Biomarkers Inc. (PBI), a Seattle, WA-based limited liability company announce a collaborative agreement to address the specialty biomarker and high-end clinical trial laboratory needs of the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.

Clinigene, is an India-based Clinical Research Organization (CRO) that offers end-to-end clinical and laboratory services for accelerating clinical research, and Pacific Biomarkers Inc. (PBI), is a Seattle, WA-based company that provides premier biomarker and specialty efficacy testing services to the drug development industry.

"PBI is a recognized global leader in providing specialty biomarkers and clinical diagnostic assay services to discovery- and development-based life science enterprises. We are delighted that PBI has selected Clinigene as its partner in India and we look forward to supporting PBI in extending and expanding its specialist service offerings,’’ said Peter Bains, Director of Research Services business.

“This partnership with Clinigene provides us access to India, an emerging hub for drug development and contract research. Further, Clinigene's state-of-the-art facilities and highly qualified staff help us offer to all of our clients an economic option to conduct their biomarker and specialty clinical lab tests. We are also excited about Clinigene's unique capabilities in cell-based assays and immunoanalytical testing services, which are of great interest to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology community,” said Ronald Helm, CEO of Pacific Biomarkers.

About Clinigene International Limited
Established in 2000, Clinigene a fully owned subsidiary of Biocon Limited, is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing early-stage as well as late-phase clinical solutions, and central laboratory, immunoanalytical and data management services. Clinigene operates a CAP-accredited Central Lab and GLP-compliant Bioanalytical Laboratory for small and large molecules, and a 104-bed clinical pharmaceutical unit in Bangalore, India. Clinigene’ s early-phase clinic and laboratories have been inspected by EMEA and the US FDA.

About Biocon Limited
Biocon is Asia's premier Biotechnology Company and India's largest by revenue. The Group, promoted by Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is a fully-integrated, innovation-driven healthcare enterprise with strategic focus on biopharmaceuticals and research services. (archive.biocon.com)

About Pacific Biomarkers (PBI)
Established in 1989, PBI provides biomarker laboratory services and contract research services to support pharmaceutical and diagnostic manufacturers conducting human clinical trial research. The Company provides expert services in the areas of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes, obesity, and nutrition. The PBI laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists, New York State, and the Lipid Standardization Program. PBI's clients include many of the world's largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostic companies. PBI also provides clinical biomarker services focusing on the emerging field of biomarker assay development and testing. Services include validating and performing custom assays for novel clinical biomarkers, immunogenicity testing, mass spectrometry, and multiplex testing.