TORONTO, ONTARIO – January 11, 2006 - Axela Biosensors Inc. announced today that it has completed a significant exclusive in-licensing greement with Kimberly-Clark. The agreement includes exclusive rights to approximately 150 world-wide patents and applications, as well as transfer of significant immunodiagnostics assay technology. As part of the agreement, Kimberly-Clark will also be acquiring an equity interest in Axela.
“These technologies are complementary to our current Diffractive Optics Technology (DOT™) products planned for product launch in 2006; moreover they are a significant contribution towards our planned execution of product offerings in the diagnostic market” said Rocky Ganske, President and CEO, Axela Biosensors Inc.
“We are pleased to partner with the very capable management team at Axela and look forward to seeing these technologies implemented as leading products in the diagnostics and life science markets.” said Corrine Sukiennik, PhD., Director, Global Licensing, Kimberly-Clark.
Axela was first identified as a license partner for Kimberly-Clark’s diffraction based biosensor technology by yet2.com. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Axela Biosensors Inc.
Axela Biosensors Inc. is a privately held Toronto-based company that is commercializing a novel biosensor platform that enables clinicians in diagnostic labs and first line health care workers to rapidly identify and quantify therapeutic and clinically relevant protein biomarkers in complex media without the need of fluorescent tags. The platform also enables researchers and scientists in academia and pharmaceutical research to rapidly detect and understand molecular interactions at their bench top in real-time. The company’s venture capital investors include VenGrowth Private Equity Partners, Primaxis Technology Ventures Inc., and Royal Bay Capital. Axela was recently selected as one of “Canada’s Top 10 Life Science Companies” by the Ottawa Life Sciences Council. For more information please visit http://www.axelabiosensors.com/.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people – almost a quarter of the world's population – trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly- Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 133-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.
About yet2.com
Yet2.com provides intellectual property consulting and licensing services to world-class clients around the globe. Yet2.com Inc and its online marketplace were founded in 1999 to promote technology licensing and transfer, with joint investment from Siemens, Bayer, Honeywell, Dupont, Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, and NTT Leasing. The privately held company is based in Needham, Massachusetts and has offices in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Its clientele consists of a quarter of the Fortune 1000. Yet2.com draws upon its global network of technology leaders in thousands of companies across all industries, to establish productive dialogs quickly. For more information, visit www.yet2.com.
For more information or to arrange for an interview, contact:
Axela Biosensors Inc.
Phone: (416)-260-9050 x2251
Fax: (416)-260-9255
info@axelabiosensors.com