Sacramento, California
October 24, 2002

Ventria Bioscience supports the effort of BIO to develop industry-wide standards for the production of plant-made pharmaceuticals and industrials. BIO's recent position statement affects the use of "outcrossing" plants for the production of plant-made pharmaceuticals and industrials.

Outcrossing plants reproduce by wind or insect pollination. In contrast, plant-made pharmaceuticals and industrials can also be produced using self-pollinating plants such as soybeans, rice and barley. These self-pollinating plants do not require the wind or insects for pollination.

"The use of plant systems to produce biopharmaceutical proteins and peptides is an important technology in the fight against human disease and it is quite appropriate that BIO take a leadership role in defining the standards for plant-made pharmaceutical production," said William J. Rutter, Ph.D., Ventria Board Member.

"Ventria's ExpressTec(TM) system is an ideal solution for the production of plant-made pharmaceuticals and industrials because it utilizes self-pollinating plants to produce biopharmaceuticals," said Scott Deeter, President & CEO, Ventria Bioscience.

For a copy of BIO's position paper, please go to the BIO website at www.bio.org/pmp/georest.asp.

Ventria Bioscience is a development-stage biotechnology company engaged in the production of recombinant proteins using its proprietary ExpressTec(TM) technology to commercialize products with applications in human and animal health. Some of the products currently under development by Ventria address a variety of human health issues, including Infectious Disease and Iron Deficiency Anemia.