IQuum Awarded US Army Contract to Develop a “Nucleic Acid Analyzer for Battalion Aid Station Triage”

Allston, MA, January 11, 2005 -- IQuum, Inc. has been awarded a Department of Defense contract to develop a “Nucleic Acid Analyzer for Battalion Aid Station Triage” (contract No. W81XWH-05-C-0061). This work is supported by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) and focuses on the application of IQuum’s Liat™ Analyzer for the rapid diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a sand fly-borne parasitic infection that is of high prevalence in parts of the Middle East, Africa, Asia as well as Central and South America, where around 1.5 million new cases are diagnosed yearly according to statistics from the Division of Parasitic Diseases at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During August 2002 to February 2004, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) staff identified 522 parasitologically confirmed cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in military personnel deployed in the Middle East.

“This contract will enable us to improve the rapid diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis for our troops deployed overseas,” Dr. Shuqi Chen, CEO of IQuum stated. “Moreover, the significance of the project is beyond the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The completion of this project will validate the Liat system as a fully automated nucleic acid analyzer for non-technical personnel to perform sophisticated biological sample testing in non-laboratory environment. Indeed, we expect that this project will speed up other applications of clinical diagnostics on the Liat Analyzer.”

The technical objective of this $1.96 million dollar two-phase contract is to develop, test and field a system capable of bringing IQuum’s proprietary lab-in-a-tube technology to bear on the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in forward-deployed troops. In the first phase of the contract, IQuum will utilize proven assay technology, integrate it into the IQuum Liat™ Analyzer platform and prepare a clinical trial towards FDA approval. In the second contract phase, IQuum plans to conduct a clinical trial at three clinical centers. Upon successful completion of these two development phases, IQuum expects that the IQuum Liat Analyzer will become available for procurement, specifically for military units at home and overseas.

About IQuum, Inc.

IQuum is a leader in developing lab-in-a-tube technology, a novel biological sample testing platform intended to provide revolutionary benefits to a broad cross section of the bioassay market. The Company's proprietary technology will enable the less experienced professional to perform more sophisticated biological sample testing in a less expensive setting with greater speed. The lab-in-a-tube platform is the foundation of next generation tools for clinical diagnostics, biodefense, and industrial testing. Founded in 1998, IQuum is located in the Boston metropolitan area in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.IQuum.com.

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