Iconix Announces Chemogenomics Collaborative Relationship with AstraZeneca MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that AstraZeneca has selected Iconix to provide advanced chemogenomic profiling and analytical services for a specific AstraZeneca Cancer drug discovery program, using Iconix's reference database and predictive biomarkers. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will apply Iconix's chemogenomics platform to developing an understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity found in specific drug programs. AstraZeneca is also seeking to identify genomic biomarkers that can be used as counterscreens in short-term studies. These biomarkers would be designed to predict the onset of specific toxicologies and would facilitate the development of follow-up compounds and, potentially, drug response monitoring in clinical testing. Iconix will utilize biomarkers of drug pathology and mechanism from its Drug Signatures(TM) library, the largest collection of predictive biomarkers in the pharmaceutical industry, for the profiling of AstraZeneca's compounds. Drug Signatures are derived by Iconix from its DrugMatrix(R) platform, a large-scale chemogenomics reference database and informatics system. "We're especially pleased to be working with AstraZeneca," said Jim Neal, Iconix's CEO, "because the work focuses on two areas of chemogenomics technology that can provide great benefits -- predictive toxicology and understanding the mechanisms of toxicology. Reducing the time to detecting potential toxicity and developing an understanding of those toxicities can significantly reduce the cost of drug development in the clinic." About Iconix: Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is pioneering the new field of chemogenomics, the integration of chemistry and genomics to profile drug candidates. Iconix's chemogenomic capabilities enable pharmaceutical companies to increase the odds of advancing the right compounds to the clinic, reducing attrition rates and the costs of drug discovery. Iconix provides reference systems and know-how to predict toxic liabilities, side effects and mechanisms of drug candidates. The company has strategic partnerships with an ecosystem of leading life sciences companies, including MDS Pharma Services (NYSE:MDZ)(TSE:MDS), Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY) and Amersham Biosciences (NYSE:AHM) ( LSE: OSE) , and collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly, Schering-Plough, Eisai Co., Ltd. and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Iconix also provides research, training and support to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) under an agreement to advance CDER's study of the application of genomic technologies in the regulatory approval process. Iconix's DrugMatrix system has been installed at the FDA for use by CDER scientists and reviewers in a diverse range of chemogenomics applications. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Iconix was founded in 1998 and is privately held. For more information, visit http://www.iconixpharm.com/. About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of over $18.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. Worldwide, AstraZeneca has six major research and development sites, four discovery facilities and a clinical research site, in total, employing more than 11,500 R&D staff members in Canada, France, India, Japan, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States. CONTACT: For Iconix Pharmaceuticals Jennifer Larson 415-409-2729 DATASOURCE: Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Jennifer Larson, +1-415-409-2729, or , for Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Web site: http://www.iconixpharm.com/

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