Large Scale Biology Corporation (Nasdaq: LSBC) and Icon Genetics AG (ICON) announced today that they have entered into a collaborative agreement to co-develop a biopharmaceutical product for a major therapeutic market. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The alliance centers on the synergistic application of LSBC's and ICON's patented gene expression and biomanufacturing resources with the goal of developing and eventually commercializing a therapeutic product, the manufacture of which by conventional technologies has proven difficult and expensive. Both ICON and LSBC biomanufacture their own and client-specified therapeutic proteins using non-food/fodder, non-recombinant plants in safe, contained production environments. The goal of the new collaboration is to accelerate development of a difficult-to-produce pharmaceutical by pooling the technical strengths of each company's plant-based platform.

"We welcome this new relationship with Icon Genetics, a leader in plant-based gene expression with a record of success in maximizing the productivity of plant-based production," said Kevin J. Ryan, President and CEO of LSBC. "This collaboration will help accelerate the development of an important product, whose availability and cost have been hampered by inefficient manufacturing methods."

"We are happy to establish this new product-focused collaboration with LSBC, whose manufacturing experience and resources complement ICON's technical strengths," said Yuri Gleba, CEO of Icon Genetics. "This collaboration is expected to create very significant development and manufacturing synergies to succeed in the development of our chosen product."

"At the international Conference on Plant-Made Pharmaceuticals, which took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, January 30-February 2, 2005, LSBC stated its intent to form new as well as expand existing alliances with leading companies in the PMP field, with the goal of maximizing technical synergies and more quickly bring plant-produced products through regulatory approval and to the market," stated Ronald J. Artale, LSBC's COO. At the conference, Dr. Daniel Tusé, LSBC's VP Business Development, delivered two presentations that underscored a need for PMP companies to work together more closely through strategic collaborations, rather than dilute resources in competitive scenarios. "LSBC and ICON have collaborated in the past, and this new, product-focused development program is a clear example of LSBC's intention to help move complementary PMP technologies towards products more efficiently," Mr. Artale added.