1:30 PM EST / 10:30 AM PST – Monday, May 12, 2008 Green Baron Focus Stock Pick Znomics, Inc. (OTCBB: ZNOM - $2.75 per share) Accelerating Drug Discovery Common Shares Outstanding / 11.1 million Current Market Cap / $30.5 million 2008 Year High / $3.25 per share 2008 Year Low / $2.30 per share Public: November 2007 via reverse merger Znomics Technology Platform Leads to Collaborative Drug Discovery Programs and over 100 Material Transfer Agreements with Universities World Expert and Leader in Using Zebrafish for Drug Discovery Joins Znomics When I was a stockbroker working at firms such as Shearson Lehman Brothers and PaineWebber in the ‘90’s, I often controlled huge positions in biotechnology stocks for my clients. For the most part, it was not revenues and earnings that drove these stocks; it was potential. Due to the fact that even one new drug approved and indicated for a large market can command billions of dollars in sales each year, even the potential of a newly approved drug can drive a stock price to the stratosphere. Biotech stocks seemed to move up and down with reckless abandon by the late ‘90’s. If a biotech stock trading at $2 or $3 per share showed promise and reasonable valuation, one good announcement could send the stock well into double digits. The dramatic moves and gaps in biotech stocks do not happen as often in the current market climate unless there appears to be overwhelming data and press to support a new breakthrough. Today, we will introduce a biotechnology company that appears to have all the makings of a company capable of announcing multiple breakthrough developments. Note: In January this year, The Green Baron Report released its first pick of 2008 with our biotechnology selection Immunosyn Corporation (BB: IMYN) at $2.61 per share. Some four months later, the stock trades at about $4.15 per share and looks poised to break out again after topping at $5 per share about a month ago. Now, we present to our members the next biotech stock that ought to begin its move north. The Green Baron Report is proud to announce that Znomics, Inc. (OTCBB: ZNOM) is officially our 68th fully profiled stock and will be added to our storied list of previously profiled stocks on our home page. Results compiled from the most recent trade possible prior to dissemination of this report to the subsequent high will be monitored at www.thegreenbaron.com. Although we have very aggressive short and long term expectations for this stock, we still suggest our members try to accumulate shares as close to the profile price as possible. Despite the sequencing of the human genome and heavy investment in new technologies such as gene chips and combinational chemistry, over the past 25 years the pharmaceutical industry has suffered from an inadequate pipeline of new drugs. Pharmaceutical companies need better ways to analyze the complex biology of animals and disease so as to increase the productivity of drug discovery. The Znomics Drug Discovery Platform looks to improve speed and efficacy while reducing costs related to the discovery of new drugs and drug targets. Znomics, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a biotechnology company using proprietary zebrafish technology to find new drugs and drug targets for complex human diseases. The Company is developing a novel drug discovery methodology based on high throughput drug screening against human disease models in live zebrafish. This methodology screens against all potential drug targets in the animal and improves the speed and efficacy of finding lead compounds compared with single target screens predominantly used in the pharmaceutical industry. Znomics’ new drug discovery approach gains additional strength through its catalogued library of mutations in the zebrafish, called the ZeneMark® Library. The library, the first in a vertebrate, currently contains more than 11,000 strains of fish representing mutations in more than half of the known zebrafish genes. The Company is leveraging this technology for its internal drug discovery efforts as well as making collaborative partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and universities. The Company also sells mutant fish strains to university scientists, for research purposes, obtaining rights to license new discoveries in academic laboratories. Why Zebrafish? Zebrafish share 80-90% of the genes found in humans, making them an ideal vertebrate model for drug discovery. An August 8, 2003 Wall Street Journal article heralded the zebrafish as edging out the mouse as the animal best suited for genetic studies, in part, due to its rapid generation, transparency, high reproduction, cost efficiency, and ease of dosing and screening. SO WHY BUY NOW? · Collaboration with Merck & Co. (NY: MRK) – Merck is a global, research driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first - Znomics has completed a multi-project collaboration with Merck & Co. for drug target discovery for metabolic diseases. Collaborations with Merck and other major pharmaceutical companies clearly are in Znomics future plans. We also note that recently retained business advisor James Posada announced on February 12, 2008 was instrumental in negotiating collaborations with both Merck and Eli Lilly while with his former company Glycofi. In fact, Merck ultimately acquired Glycofi. · Intellectual Property of the ZeneMark® Library, and subsets The Living Library and Human Disease Library – This comprehensive collection contains mutations in more than 11,000 different zebrafish genes and represents highly informative and effective tools for drug target discovery and disease modeling. Znomics is fast becoming the go-to company among researchers worldwide for this rapidly popular way to conduct genetics research. The Living Library is a collection of zebrafish strains maintained as living lines that contain retroviral insertional mutations that can rapidly be used for drug and drug target discovery. It was recently announced that its other subset, the Human Disease Gene Library, has achieved mutations in 193 key genes, representing nearly 50 percent of the known “druggable” human disease genes. This gives the company a vast resource for creating human disease models in the zebrafish. Znomics internal research team will retain and focus its own development efforts toward the most promising commercial disease categories. · Material Transfer Agreement with Leading Universities such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Stanford, and more than 100 others – Znomics has first negotiating rights to exclusively license discoveries identified through the Company’s fish lines. In essence, Znomics has the ability to benefit from discoveries made from any of these research institutions. It is almost like having the best and brightest minds in drug discovery and research working throughout the world for the Company. · Dr. Stephane Berghmans Joins Znomics as Director of Drug Discovery – Among the Company’s world class management team, Dr. Berghmans is a world expert and leader in using zebrafish for drug discovery. He recently came to Znomics from Cambridge, UK where his most recent position was head of safety pharmacology at the publicly held biotechnology company, Summit, plc. He is the author of many pioneering papers on the development of human disease models and drug screening in the zebrafish. · Potential Licensing Opportunities and Revenues from Sales of Mutant Fish Lines – Due to its extensive proprietary library, there exist tremendous upside for in-licensing and out licensing opportunities with “big pharma” and academic research institutions. In addition, Znomics derives ancillary revenues and access to intellectual property from the sale of mutant fish lines to university research labs under material transfer agreements. · New Collaborative Drug Discovery Program with University of Utah and its Huntsman Cancer Institute – This program plans to develop pre-clinical compounds for the treatment of T-cell leukemia, autoimmune disease, inflammation, and complications related to organ transplantation led by Nikolaus Trede, M.D., PhD, a leading expert in the zebrafish immune system. Znomics will receive full commercial rights to the discoveries, and Dr. Trede will join Znomics’ scientific advisory board. · Valuation and Introduction to Wall Street – With about 11 million shares outstanding, Znomics currently trades at a valuation of approximately $33 million. Znomics came public last November through a reverse merger raising about $4.8 million in cash. Znomics is initiating an awareness program that will introduce the Company to investors worldwide. Pondel/Wilkinson (www.pondel.com), a leading investor relations and corporate/financial communications firm, has been retained. The Green Baron Report believes that Znomics has developed an outstanding platform to accelerate the discovery of new compounds and medicines to treat specific disorders and diseases. The Company has structured material transfer agreements that secure potential rewards of any significant research finding from more than 100 top universities and research facilities. ZNOM stock should begin to react very soon as new investors realize its limitless potential, and as the Company’s experienced internal research team releases promising new research discoveries. About Znomics, Inc. Znomics, Inc. is focused on identifying and developing new pharmaceutical products for treatment of human disorders and diseases. The company's drug discovery platform is based on its catalogued library of mutations in the zebrafish, called the ZeneMark Library. The library, the first in a vertebrate, currently contains more than 11,000 strains of fish representing mutations in approximately half of the known genome. Zebrafish share 80%-90% of the same genes as humans. The company is leveraging this technology for its internal drug discovery efforts as well as establishing collaborative partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and universities. The use of zebrafish provides the potential for more efficient and cost-effective drug development and may serve as an advance over the ubiquitous mouse in drug research. Here are some attributes of the zebrafish:
Importantly, extensive research has shown that many FDA-approved and marketed human pharmaceuticals are active in the zebrafish, thus validating the concept that new drugs can be discovered in this model system. Proprietary Gene Modification Technology Retroviral Insertional Mutagenesis (RIM) Znomics has perfected a gene modification process called “retroviral insertional mutagenesis” (RIM), that has produced the library which enables the rapid identification of gene function and drug targets. Via RIM, Znomics is able to simultaneously mutate and mark every zebrafish gene, and generate new fish lines harboring more than 25 retroviral insertions per cell; then rapidly recover the marked genes of interest. Although DNA sequencing and microarray analyses have generated vast amounts of data on gene sequences and their expression patterns, extracting therapeutically and commercially useful information from these huge datasets has proven difficult. One important approach to determining gene function is to delete a gene from the genome (gene knock-out) and then determine the consequences of the deletion in a live animal. Znomics’ process of mutating or knocking out specific genes enables the creation or introduction of specific disorders (such as obesity) and diseases (such as diabetes) into the live animal which, in turn, allows for a much more efficient and accurate examination of potential new drugs in terms of efficacy, toxicity and fundamental pharmacokinetics related to the specific condition. Recent News Announcements May 8, 2008 – Znomics and University of Utah Launch Collaborative Drug Discovery Program in Oncology, Autoimmune Disease and Inflammation – Company Funds Laboratory of Nikolaus Trede, M.D. PhD; Acquires Exclusive Option to License Small Molecules from the Discovery Program - Portland, Ore. - Znomics, Inc. (OTC.BB: ZNOM), a pioneer in the development of the zebrafish as a vertebrate genetic platform to accelerate drug discovery, announced today a collaborative research program with the University of Utah and its Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) to develop pre-clinical compounds for the treatment of T-cell leukemia, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and complications related to organ transplantation. Under the research agreement, Znomics will fund the program and receive full commercial rights to the discoveries. The research will be led by HCI investigator and pediatric oncologist Nikolaus Trede, M.D., Ph.D., a leading expert in the zebrafish immune system. Dr. Trede and his team, in collaboration with Znomics’ researchers, plan to develop proprietary T-cell disease assays in the zebrafish. These assays, based on endogenous T-cell markers, will then be used to screen the university’s large library of compounds to identify leads to be further developed for clinical testing. Dr. Trede also will join Znomics’ scientific advisory board. “My associates and I are very pleased to launch this program with Znomics, which has excellent technology and scientific capabilities for drug discovery in zebrafish,” said Dr. Trede. “Our group has been working to develop assays and identify compounds for novel leukemia therapies for some time. Collaborating with Znomics’ scientists on new approaches will accelerate this effort and hopefully yield lead therapeutic compounds that can progress to further clinical evaluation.” Dr. Trede is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and attends to cancer patients in the pediatric outpatient clinic. His extensive training includes an M.D. degree from Albert Ludwigs University Medical School in Freiburg, Germany, a Ph.D. from Université Paris VII, and clinical and research fellowships in immunology and hematology/oncology at the Harvard University-affiliated Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “The zebrafish provides a powerful approach to screen in vivo for compounds that may be useful for treating a wide variety of diseases involving T cells because we can model the biology of the T cell in the whole animal environment,” said Znomics’ president and chief scientific officer, Roger Cone. “Dr. Trede’s screens combined with our ZeneMark® Library of knockout mutants can give us a significant competitive advantage, not only in identifying active small molecules, but rapidly validating them and identifying the molecular targets and pathways responsible for the therapeutic effect.” “Our company’s drug discovery goal is to have preclinical compounds for three major diseases by 2010, “said Znomics chief executive officer, Richard Sessions. “This program in cancer and inflammation, along with our recently launched program in obesity, puts us in good position to achieve the goal, possibly even earlier.” Although financial terms of the Utah collaboration were not disclosed, Znomics will fund research in Dr. Trede’s laboratory and has an exclusive option to license the small molecules and all related intellectual property that the parties discover during the collaboration. All financial terms of the licensing have been pre-negotiated. “I had the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Trede during our training in Professor Len Zon’s laboratory at Harvard,” said David Ransom, Ph.D., Znomics’ director of genetics and functional genomics. “He and his associates are doing some of the most advanced drug discovery work in zebrafish and I think we’ll have a great opportunity to identify and develop novel drugs that may help the kind of young cancer patients that Nick sees. The entire Znomics group is very excited about this collaborative project.” April 15, 2008 - Znomics Launches Drug Discovery Program in Obesity Using Proprietary In Vivo Screening Model - Obtains Exclusive Biological License From Oregon Health & Science University - Znomics, Inc. announced today the launch of a program to find lead drug compounds for the treatment of obesity. Znomics obtained from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) an exclusive biological license to a genetic model of obesity using the zebrafish developed in the OHSU laboratory of Znomics' co-founder Roger Cone, Ph.D., a leading international researcher in the field of weight regulation. Under the direction of Stephane Berghmans, director of drug discovery at Znomics, the company intends to refine Dr. Cone's obesity model for use in the screening of small molecule compounds. The company aims to identify pre-clinical drug candidates for obesity and to partner with a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company to advance these candidates into human clinical studies. "We are especially excited to launch this drug discovery program, which will be the first to probe the complex biology of obesity using the zebrafish for in vivo screening of compounds that act on wholly novel targets of the disease," said Roger Cone, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Znomics. "The effects of obesity for individual health and medical care costs are tremendous, and we believe our drug discovery platform offers the potential to more rapidly discover new therapies for the treatment of obesity while reducing overall drug development costs." "This program brings together all elements of Znomics' strategy for accelerating drug discovery -- utilizing zebrafish genetics, disease modeling and in vivo compound screening," said Richard Sessions, Znomics' chief executive officer. "There is a multi-billion dollar market for an effective obesity drug with minimal side effects, and we feel that our approach is directly targeted toward identifying good drug candidates." The most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control estimated that U.S. obesity-related medical expenditures exceed $75 billion. Obesity has been shown to promote many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer, and gallbladder disease. A 2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight (33 percent) or obese (31 percent). March 6, 2008 – Znomics Appoints Stephane Berghmans, D.V.M., Ph.D. to Director of Drug Discovery - Znomics, Inc., a pioneer in the development of the zebrafish as a vertebrate genetic platform to accelerate drug discovery, announced today the appointment of Stephane Berghmans, D.V.M., Ph.D. to Director of Drug Discovery, effective March 10, 2008. Dr. Berghmans is a world expert and leader in using the zebrafish for drug discovery. He comes to Znomics from Cambridge, UK where his most recent position was head of safety pharmacology at the publicly held biotechnology company, Summit plc. Dr. Berghmans received a doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1994 and a Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics in 2000 from the University of Liege, Belgium. From 2000-2004 he was a research fellow at the Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School. He is the author of many pioneering papers on the development of human disease models and drug screening in the zebrafish. "Stephane Berghmans is a recognized industry leader in developing assays and evaluating the therapeutic and safety properties of drug compounds using the zebrafish," said Roger Cone, Znomics president and chief scientific officer. "He successfully led and managed a large automation effort for high throughput compound screening in the zebrafish while at both Danio Labs and Summit. (Danio Labs was acquired by Summit in 2007.) Dr. Berghmans is a first rate scientist and I am excited that he will be developing and managing the drug discovery group at Znomics." Znomics will carry out its drug discovery effort in recently leased, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in the new Biomedical Research Building at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland. The company is acquiring equipment and will hire additional Ph.D. and technician personnel to work under Dr. Berghmans in the new facility. The new space is in close proximity to the laboratories of Dr. Cone and Znomics Scientific Advisory Board Member, Dr. Thomas Scanlan, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology and Director of the Program in Chemical Biology at OHSU. "All of our scientists at Znomics will be working closely with Dr. Berghmans and the drug discovery group," said Stephen Kurtz, Znomics director of operations. "Finding lead compounds for major diseases is the next process for our sophisticated genetics technology and we couldn't have found a better scientist to lead Znomics through this important phase of growth." February 25, 2008 - Znomics Expands Drug Discovery Facilities – Leases State-of-the-Art Laboratory Space at Oregon Health and Science University - Znomics, Inc. today said it has expanded its facilities to include additional laboratory space in the new Biomedical Research Building on the campus of Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland. The approximately 1,600-square-foot space will support the company's drug discovery operations and will include a laboratory, fish facility, and offices, increasing Znomics' current facilities by one-third. The company expects to occupy the additional space in March 2008. "This is a state-of-the-art facility that enables us to expand and advance our research on disease assays and models, compound screening, and drug discovery," said Znomics Chief Executive Officer, Richard Sessions. "This new on-campus facility is centrally located and provides us with convenient access to a vibrant scientific and educational community." Znomics, originally a spin-out company from OHSU, has strong ties to the university. Three of its co-founders, one of its research directors, and one of its scientific advisory board members have or had positions in university academic departments or research centers. The new space is in close proximity to the laboratories of President and Chief Scientific Officer, Roger Cone and Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. Thomas Scanlan. February 12, 2008 – Znomics Retains James Posada as Business Advisor - Company to Increase Focus on In-Licensing and Out-Licensing Opportunities - Znomics, Inc. announced today that it has retained James Posada, Ph.D., as a business advisor to assist with business development, effective immediately. Posada's initial mission will be to help with the development of collaborative programs with potential pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. Additionally, he will oversee technology in-licensing and out-licensing activities for Znomics. "Jim possesses broad experience across academic science, large pharma, biotech, and start-up environments," said Richard Sessions, chief executive officer of Znomics. "He has demonstrated repeated success in developing commercialization strategies for new technologies, and structuring and negotiating deals." "I am thrilled to be able to work with Jim," said Roger Cone, chief scientific officer of Znomics. "He has been highly successful in both the pharmaceutical industry while at Eli Lilly, and as a vice president for business development at a small start-up like Glycofi. He understands the value of Znomics' technology and we believe provides Znomics with strategic insight and know-how to help the company optimize its business development strategy." Posada, 49, brings 20 years of experience in both science and business development to Znomics. Previously he was senior vice president for business and market development at Glycofi, a 60-person start-up company out of Dartmouth University. While at Glycofi, Posada was instrumental in negotiating strategic collaborations with both Merck and Eli Lilly, which ultimately led to Merck's acquisition of Glycofi. Before that Posada served as senior director for business development at Protein Design Labs, manager of a therapeutic protein division at Eli Lilly, and assistant professor of biophysics and molecular biology at the University of Vermont Medical School. Posada earned a bachelor of science degree in biology from Eastern Connecticut State University, a doctor of philosophy degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Vermont School of Medicine, and a master of business administration degree from University of Vermont School of Business. February 6, 2008 - Znomics Advances Drug Discovery Efforts in Zebrafish with Launch of New Human Disease Library – Company Achieves Mutations in 193 ‘Druggable’ Disease Genes - Znomics, Inc. (OTCBB:ZNOM), a pioneer in the development of the zebrafish as a vertebrate genetic platform to accelerate drug discovery, today announced it has achieved mutations in 193 key genes, representing nearly 50 percent of the known "druggable" disease genes. The company expects that information derived from these disrupted genes and others from its ZeneMark(r) library of mutant fish lines will advance its search for new drug targets and new lead compounds for complex human diseases. "Today we are launching our Human Disease Library," said David Ransom, Director of Genetics and Functional Genomics at Znomics. "Ultimately, this library, which is a subset of the ZeneMark library of zebrafish strains, will contain mutations in the majority of known human disease genes. These strains can be used to model complex human diseases in the zebrafish. Of the approximately 1,500 gene mutations known to cause disease in man, 368 occur in genes encoding druggable targets, such as receptors, enzymes and channels. The collection of strains in the Human Disease Library represents mutations in the zebrafish genes corresponding to more than half of human genes that are both disease genes and potentially druggable." "This tool gives Znomics' scientists an ability to model a vast array of different human diseases," said Roger Cone, Chief Scientific Officer at Znomics. "The subset of druggable disease gene mutations will also give us a unique ability to validate novel drug targets and identify the unique drug site-of-action." Another milestone reached by the company includes 14,000 separately archived sperm samples which contain more than 11,000 mutations in known zebrafish genes, roughly half of the genome. Zebrafish share 80% - 90% of the same genes as humans. "The ZeneMark library is a remarkable achievement," said Jianxin Wang, Director of Bioinformatics at Znomics. "It has resulted from melding advanced biological science with informatics technology, integrating innovation and hard work both at the bench and at the computer. The library has invaluable utility for the study of gene functions and will ultimately speed up disease gene discoveries and the development of new, innovative drug compounds." Leadership Roger D. Cone, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, is a co-founder of Znomics and has served as Director, President and Chief Scientific Officer since 2001. In addition to serving as an officer of the Company, Dr. Cone is currently Director of the Center for the Study of Weight Regulation and a Senior Scientist at the Vollum Institute at OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Cone was also a co-founder of Northwest NeuroLogic, along with Mr. Sessions. He has served as a scientific advisory board member to Neurocrine Biosciences, Lexicon Genetics and Trega Biosciences, and is a current scientific advisor to the public biopharmaceutical company, Mannkind Corporation. He has authored over 130 publications in the field of neuroendocrinology and obesity, and is the recipient of national and international awards for his research in this area. Dr. Cone earned his B.A., summa cum laude, in Biochemistry from Princeton University, and his Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Richard A. Sessions, M.B.A., Chief Executive Officer, is a co-founder of Znomics and has served as Chief Executive Officer on a consulting basis since 2001. Mr. Sessions brings extensive experience in research management to the Company. He co-founded Northwest NeuroLogic and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to 1996. From 1990 to 2001 he served as Administrative Director of the privately endowed ($40 million) Vollum Institute at OHSU. Prior to that, he spent nineteen years in engineering and medical research management at UCLA including positions as the Executive Officer of the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Administrative Director of the School of Medicine’s Center for Ulcer Research and Education. Mr. Sessions holds a B.A. from California State University, Fresno, an M.S.W. from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Graduate School of Management. Kerry D. Rea, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, has over 20 years experience in finance, primarily in publicly owned companies. Prior to joining Znomics, he was Vice President and Controller of AccessLine Communications; from 2003 to 2006 serving in various consulting roles. From 1997 to 2002 Mr. Rea held the positions of Vice President of Finance and Vice President and Controller for Electric Lightwave. He has also served as CPA with two public accounting firms. Mr. Rea holds a Bachelor of Science of Business Administration from Oregon State University and a Masters of Taxation from Portland State University. Dwight A. Sangrey, Ph.D. P.E., Chair of the Board of Directors, is a co-founder of the Company and has served on the Board of Directors since 2001. He has more than 40 years of experience in management, engineering, higher education and public policy. Practicing experience includes more than 30 years in project management or more senior responsibilities, including 10 years as Division or Chief Operating Office and 12 years as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Sangrey has spent more than 25 years in the process of developing viable businesses based on technology research and the leadership of university/industry/ government economic development organizations. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of 10 corporations, including 3 public companies. Dr. Sangrey has a Ph.D. in engineering from Cornell University. Stephen E. Kurtz, Ph.D., Director of Operations, is a co-founder of Znomics and is responsible for evaluating new technologies, overseeing certain laboratory operations and providing liaison with university and corporate scientists that engage in collaborative programs with the company. He was previously Chief Scientific Officer at Northwest NeuroLogic. From 1992 to 1997 Dr. Kurtz was a Senior Scientist in the Department of Microbial Molecular Biology at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Kurtz received his B.A. in Biology from Brown University, and his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Chicago. David Ransom, Ph.D., Director of Genetics and Functional Genomics, has extensive experience as a zebrafish researcher studying the molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis and cancer, including authoring or co-authoring 17 scientific publications in his field. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Virginia and trained as a postdoctoral researcher with Znomics’ scientific advisor, Howard Hughes investigator Leonard I. Zon, M.D., Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Harvard University’s Children’s Hospital. Dr. Ransom has received research grants and awards including the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award. Jianxin Wang, Ph.D., M.Sc., Director of Bioinformatics, is responsible for the ZeneMark Library database and all informatic programming, analysis and data storage. From 2002 through 2005 he was a Bioinformatics Programmer/Analyst at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. In 2002 he obtained his Ph.D. in molecular biology and M.Sc. in computer science from the University of New York, Buffalo. His B.S. in biology is from Liaoning University, Shenyang, China. He has authored or co-authored 15 scientific publications. Stephane Berghmans, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director of Drug Discovery is a world expert and leader in using the zebrafish for drug discovery. His most recent position was head of safety pharmacology at the publicly held biotechnology company, Summit PLC. Dr. Berghmans received a doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1994 and a Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics in 2000 from the University of Liege, Belgium. From 2000-2004 he was a research fellow at the Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School. He is the author of many pioneering papers on the development of human disease models and drug screening in the zebrafish. Research Consultants Wenbiao Chen, Ph.D. is a co-founder of Znomics and has served as Research Consultant since 2001. Dr. Chen is an Assistant Scientist at the Vollum Institute at OHSU. Dr. Chen is an expert on retroviral insertional mutagenesis in the zebrafish, and was one of the key scientists involved in the development of the technology while a postdoctoral research fellow at MIT. Dr. Chen earned his B.S. in Biology from Hunan Normal University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from OHSU. Gregory P. Golling, Ph.D., is an expert on retroviral insertional mutagenesis and zebrafish physiology, having completed postdoctoral research at MIT, along with Dr. Chen, in the laboratory of Dr. Nancy Hopkins. Dr. Golling graduated with a B.S. in Biology from California State University, Bakersfield, and received a Ph.D. in Genetics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Green Baron Conclusion Znomics has built a platform to rapidly accelerate the discovery of new medicines and compounds to treat diseases and disorders. It has positioned itself to be the leading Company using zebrafish, now used in over 500 research laboratories, as its research tool. The Znomics drug delivery platform offers improved speed and efficacy while reducing costs related to discovery of new drugs and drug targets. Through creation of the ZeneMark® Library, Znomics provides invaluable utility for the study of gene functions. Many of the world’s top research universities and institutes have signed material transfer agreements with Znomics and provide the Company first negotiating rights to exclusively license discoveries identified through its fish lines. A history of collaborative agreements with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in Merck & Co. further validates the interest in this area of new drug discovery. Additionally, a first class management and advisory team at Znomics give us more reason to see big upside for this company, and growth in its stock price. For Further Information Contact: Znomics, Inc. Richard Sessions, Chief Executive Officer (503)827-5271 ext 102 Kerry Rea, Chief Financial Officer (503)827-5271 ext 101
Pondel/Wilkinson Inc. Investor Relations: Rob Whetstone Eileen Rauchberg (310)279-5980
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