RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK

Icoria, Inc. announced today that it has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) to identify biomarkers associated with exposure to low-level chemical warfare agents. The agreement runs through October 2005.

The research could become the basis for development of rapid, cost-effective diagnostic field tests to assess exposure in soldiers and civilians.

"This is a logical application of our research work aimed at understanding the low-level effects of nerve agent exposure," said Jim Zarzycki, director of ECBC. "Identifying the mechanism of action of nerve agents may provide useful information to help us in our mission to protect soldiers, civilians and first responders."

Icoria will use gene expression and metabolic profiling to study the blood and selected organs of rats exposed to low levels of VX gas to identify biomarkers. If there is further funding available, Icoria and ECBC may conduct additional studies and work to develop a prototype blood-based field test.

The company has previously conducted toxicology studies on brevetoxin with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. An abstract on that research, entitled "Use of Metabolomics to Identify Biomarkers for Brevetoxin Exposure" will be presented at the Society of Toxicology's annual meeting in March.

"We are delighted to see continued recognition of the role metabolomics can play in increasing the power and predictability of toxicology studies," said Dr. Peter Johnson, Icoria's Chief Medical Officer and Chief Business Officer. "We believe Icoria's approach to using metabolomics and biomarkers can help companies develop safer, more effective drugs more quickly and cost effectively."

Under the agreement, all testing of the chemical warfare agents will be handled by the ECBC. Icoria will perform only post-exposure analyses of tissue and serum after these short-lived chemical agents are no longer present.