CBI Services Is Accredited By The Laboratory Response Network Of Bioterrorism

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 24 Jan 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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CBI Services, a business unit within the Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. group of companies (NASDAQ Capital Market: CBTE) and a leading provider of contract research solutions to customers in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and government agencies, announced that is has met all the necessary requirements to become an integral part of the Laboratory Response Network of Bioterrorism (the "LRN"). CBI has been designated as a Basic Sentinel Laboratory.

The LRN is a multi-level national system designed to link state and local public health laboratories with private laboratories that are capable of performing state-of-the-art analyses for the presence of select agent toxins and pathogens. The LRN was established in 1999 as a consequence of Presidential Directive 39. The Centers for Disease Control has indicated that the LRN is a critical component for leading the public health effort in enhancing our country's readiness to detect and to respond to acts of bioterrorism at federal, state, and local levels.

The LRN operates as a network of laboratories which possess the technical proficiency to perform essential tests for detecting and identifying select agent pathogens. To become a Basic Sentinel laboratory, LRN required CBI Services to demonstrate its expertise and proficiency in testing blinded samples for specific agents.

"We are both pleased and excited by this designation," said Tom Reynolds, Executive VP for Science and Technology who oversaw the testing at CBI Services. "For several years now, CBI has been at the forefront of developing novel protocols for assay of suspect samples, and now we have the opportunity to collaborate with our peer laboratories in the LRN and further serve our nation's interests in countering acts and threats of bioterrorism."

About Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc.

The CBI group of companies offers cutting-edge research and development products and services to the global life sciences industry. CBI now operates four distinct business units: (1) CBI Services, an early entry contract research organization, (2) Fairfax Identity Laboratories, a DNA reference lab; (3) Mimotopes Pty, Ltd., Melbourne, Australia, a peptide and discovery chemistry business; and (4) Exelgen, Ltd (formerly Tripos Discovery Research), Bude, England, a medicinal and synthetic discovery chemistry business. Collectively, CBI companies employ over 140 staff in world-class laboratories.

Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc.