Newport Beach, CA —Acacia Research has approved a plan for its CombiMatrix subsidiary, a maker of DNA microarray consumables and instrumentation,to become an independent public company. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2006 with CombiMatrix listing its shares on the NASDAQ exchange. “This will benefit both companies by eliminating the risk factors associated with the current capital structure. The separation of the two companies should enable each company to optimize its own identity and business strategy, making an investment in the companies more attractive to investors,” said Acacia Chairman and CEO Paul Ryan.