MDCC Molecular Devices (MM)

Molecular Devices Introduces Third IMAP(R) Substrate Finder for Kinases SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Molecular Devices Corporation (NASDAQ:MDCC) today announced the introduction of its third IMAP(R) Substrate Finder for kinases, following the launch of its first two in 2004. The IMAP Substrate Finder products are essential tools for the identification and characterization of optimal kinase substrates, and enable researchers to significantly accelerate their kinase assay development for known and newly-identified kinases. Together the three IMAP Substrate Finders provide an array of more than 150 kinase substrates that cover representative kinases for all areas of the human kinome. The Substrate Finders are based on Molecular Devices' IMAP platform, which provides advanced tools for assay development and high throughput screening (HTS) of kinases, one of the most important target classes in drug discovery today. In pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, it is estimated that over 20% of the drug discovery efforts are focused on protein kinase inhibitors. A wide range of diseases, including cancer, inflammation, diabetes, congestive heart failure and neurological damage, are related to kinase malfunction. Finding tools that can provide quick, reliable solutions for targeting kinase inhibitors is critical to the acceleration of the drug discovery process. "The pharmaceutical industry has recognized the therapeutic potential of protein kinase inhibitors. For example, there are several successful cancer drugs on the market that inhibit kinases, such as Gleevec(R) and IREESA(TM), and approximately 25 protein kinase inhibitors in different stages of clinical development," stated Susan Clark, Director of Reagents Marketing at Molecular Devices. "Drug development in this area is in its infancy and with over 500 protein kinases in the human kinome, it represents a major opportunity for new drug targets. Furthermore, the scientific and technical design of the IMAP platform allows researchers to move through assay development, screening and hit evaluation with virtually any kinase. We are pleased that IMAP continues to be the preferred platform to screen for kinase activity." Protein kinases play a broad role in cell signaling and are involved in almost every major cellular process. Since kinases are involved in so many vital cellular processes, they are inextricably linked to onset and progression of many disease states. Researchers are aggressively seeking new novel drug compounds to inhibit the kinases responsible for these diseases. One of the major roadblocks facing pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is in the early stages of assay development when searching for a suitable kinase substrate. The IMAP Substrate Finder accelerates this difficult task by providing a quick, sensitive, yet inexpensive method to screen dozens of substrates in a couple of hours versus days or weeks. Molecular Devices Corporation is a leading supplier of high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems that accelerate and improve drug discovery and other life sciences research. The Company's systems and consumables enable pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to leverage advances in genomics, proteomics and parallel chemistry to facilitate the high-throughput and cost-effective identification and evaluation of drug candidates. The Company's solutions are based on its advanced core technologies that integrate its expertise in engineering, molecular and cell biology and chemistry. Molecular Devices enables its customers to improve research productivity and effectiveness, which ultimately accelerates the complex process of discovering and developing new drugs. This press release contains "forward-looking" statements, including statements related to the prospects for or potential customer use of the IMAP Substrate Finder products. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of Molecular Devices Corporation to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to the development of new products and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. Molecular Devices Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Molecular Devices Corporation CONTACT: Tim Harkness of Molecular Devices Corporation, +1-408-747-3533 Web site: http://www.moleculardevices.com/

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