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Bayer HealthCare licenses urinary trypsin inhibitor immunoassays to Signet Laboratories to further research inflammatory disease


WEBWIRE –

Wednesday - March 1, 2006, Leverkusen – Bayer HealthCare LLC, Diagnostics Division, a member of the Bayer Group (NYSE: BAY), announced today a licensing agreement with Signet Laboratories, Inc. through which Signet will conduct research with immunoassays discovered by Bayer scientists that detect two markers of inflammation, uristatin (Uri) and bikunin (Bik), found in blood and urine. Signet plans to offer assays to investigators conducting research into the detection and management of acute and chronic diseases.

Acute inflammation can result from sepsis, meningitis, respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, viral infection, and bacterial infection. Chronic inflammation is often associated with diabetes mellitus, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, kidney diseases, and certain auto-immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and organ failure.

“Inflammation is the body’s protective response to an injury. If the response goes unchecked, however, it can negatively affect vital organs. For example, inflammation of the kidney may cause kidney failure. The trypsin inhibitors Uri and Bik are cutting-edge biomarkers that can have a great impact on the diagnosis and management of diseases for inflammation, such as kidney disease,” said Dr. Michael Pugia, director of Urinalysis R&D, Bayer HealthCare Diagnostics. “We are confident that with Signet’s expertise in developing important immunoassays for medical researchers, these markers will one day improve and manage health in people affected by inflammatory diseases.”

“Signet will evaluate the trypsin inhibitors as biomarkers for acute renal failure (ARF) with a view toward developing them into companion assays for our Nephroscreen, an RUO assay that may predict the onset of ARF,” said Dr. Peggy Taylor, VP of Production and Development, Signet Laboratories, Inc.

About Signet Laboratories
Signet Laboratories, Inc. (Signet, Dedham, MA) is a leading medical diagnostics/research company specializing in the development of monoclonal antibodies and diagnostics assays for cancer, infectious disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Signet was created in 1989 as a commercial spinout of Johnson & Johnson’s Cambridge Research Laboratories, Inc. (CRL, Cambridge, MA). For more information about Signet, contact Colleen Scott, telephone (781) 915-1404, e-mail cscott@signetlabs.com

About Bayer HealthCare AG
Bayer HealthCare AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry. In 2004, the Bayer HealthCare subgroup generated sales amounting to some 8.5 billion Euro.

The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care, Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Since January 1, 2006 the new Pharmaceutical Division consists of the former Biological Products and Pharmaceutical Division and now comprises three business units: Hematology/Cardiology; Oncology and Primary Care.
Bayer HealthCare employed 35,300 people worldwide in 2004.

Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. The products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

We are only one click away – our press service online: www.viva.vita.bayerhealthcare.com

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F).The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.



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