BATTELLE ACQUIRES PIONEERING BRITISH TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

Battelle has acquired control of the pioneering drug delivery company called Electrosols Ltd., Battelle announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Electrosols Ltd., based in Oxford, England, has researched and patented a wide range of inventions based upon electric field effects including EHD (electrohydrodynamics), for the delivery of potent chemicals for medical, industrial and agricultural uses.

EHD devices use electric fields to create soft mists of very fine particles with unprecedented precision, allowing drugs to be delivered with enhanced therapeutic effects. Electrosols currently owns more than 30 patented inventions related to electric field effect technology.

Battelle negotiated a license to use several of Electosols' patents in 1999, primarily for pulmonary drug delivery. A spinoff company, Battelle Pulmonary Therapeutics, is now developing these inventions, together with its own, to enable patients to inhale lung cancer chemotherapy agents, and other systemically active drugs, with significant benefits.

Pulmonary EHD has been shown to stand alone among inhaler systems due to its ability to create soft mists of exceptionally well controlled droplets, without the use of propellant gas. This improves therapy, minimizes the need for patient compliance and reduces side effects. The same devices may also be used to create mists of droplets containing DNA, for purposes such as vaccination and gene therapy.

Non-pulmonary drug uses of Electrosols' inventions include fast delivery of central nervous system drugs and the manufacture of fast dispersion oral dosage forms.

"This technology shows enormous potential for use in many of Battelle's areas of research including medical and pharmaceutical products, agrochemical products and other areas of research," said Battelle President and CEO Douglas Olesen. "We're pleased to have our relationship with Electrosols expanded in this way and see great possibilities for our combined entity."

Dr. Ron Coffee, Electrosols' founder, said, "Battelle has proved itself to be the best possible strategic partner for the development of this new field of technology, for industrial and agricultural as well as medical applications."

Battelle serves industry and government in the areas of technology development, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle has annual revenues of nearly $1 billion, has operations at more than 70 locations and clients in 30 countries. It counts as its successes the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on the compact disc, medical technology breakthroughs, and fiber optic advancements for telecommunications.

For more information, contact Battelle Media Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (614) 424-5544 or at delaneyk@battelle.org. Visit www.battelle.org for information on Battelle.