ImaginAb, Inc. and Dainippon Seiki (DNS) Co., Ltd. Conclude Technology Development Agreement for Automated Chemistry Systems

LOS ANGELES and KYOTO, Japan, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ImaginAb, Inc. and Dainippon Seiki Co., Ltd. have concluded a technology agreement around the development of automated chemistry systems for fluorination of proteins and peptides for diagnostic imaging with positron emission tomography (PET).

"Over the past 18 months, our academic and pharma client base has dramatically increased and we have been developing and in-licensing novel fluorine chemistries to streamline labeling of proteins and peptides for targeted molecular imaging with PET," said Dr. Christian Behrenbruch, CEO of ImaginAb. "DNS has tremendous automation and instrumentation experience in the chemistry / radiochemistry domain and we are delighted to be working with such a dynamic and innovative organization to deliver new solutions to our customers."

Mr. Masayoshi Sugihara, President of DNS commented, "We have seen a significant increase in the interest level in novel peptides and biologics for diagnostic imaging and believe in the commercial importance of automated fluorine chemistry to drive this industry ahead. We are pleased to be collaborating with ImaginAb to develop high-throughput fluorination solutions that will be suitable for both pre-clinical and (eventually) clinical use."*

About ImaginAb

Founded in 2007 by UCLA Faculty (Drs. Robert Reiter, Anna Wu and Christian Behrenbruch), ImaginAb, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of engineered antibody fragments for diagnostic imaging and novel therapeutic applications. The company has a significant pipeline of clinical products in development oriented towards unmet needs in cancer and immunology. ImaginAb is also developing a range of pre-clinical (animal imaging) reagents for use with microPET, microSPECT and optical imaging systems, and partners on a selective basis with biopharmaceutical companies with an interest in developing companion imaging agents for therapeutic antibody products. For more information about ImaginAb, visit www.imaginab.com.

About DNS

Based in Kyoto, Japan, Dainippon Seiki (DNS) Co., Ltd. is an innovation leader in automation, robotics and high-precision instrumentation. DNS is a best-in-class provider of fully automated synthesis, diagnostic/inspection and robotic assembly systems with solutions for both life sciences/pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. For more information about DNS, visit www.dnseiki.co.jp.

*The products and services described in this press release have not attained regulatory approval for clinical use in Japan or the USA.

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Anna Wu

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SOURCE ImaginAb, Inc.