HEIDELBERG, Germany–Gene Bridges GmbH, the recombineering company, today announced that Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan has completed the amendment to expand the commercial license agreement existing since 2005 for the use of the Red/ET recombination technology from Gene Bridges.

The Red/ET recombination technology, patented in Japan under the title “Novel DNA Cloning Method“, is a valued method for generating targeting vectors or modifying E. coli chromosomes.

“Red/ET is fast becoming the standard DNA engineering technology used in industry and academia worldwide,” commented Gary Stevens, CEO of Gene Bridges GmbH. “Having recently also licensed Red/ET to Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda we are delighted to be signing this amendment to another leading Japanese Pharmaceutical company, which found the existing license agreement worthwhile expanding.”

Red/ET is a revolutionary method for DNA engineering. Recombineering with Red/ET allows cloning, subcloning, and modification of DNA at any chosen position. It permits precise engineering of DNA molecules of any size, including very large ones such as BACs or the E.coli chromosome. Recombineering DNA using Red/ET has a number of advantages over conventional methods:

Independent of restriction sites

No size limits

No unwanted mutations

Rapid

Red/ET Recombineering is one simple and powerful tool to modify plasmids, BACs, and even E.coli chromosomes. Gene Bridges is represented in Japan by the distribution partner Funakoshi.

About Gene Bridges GmbH

Gene Bridges GmbH is a self-financed biotech company pioneering recombineering, the fast and precise method of engineering gene sequences. The Company was founded in 2000 as spin-off from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. Gene Bridges commercialises its patented recombineering technology through services, commercial licenses and kits from its facilities in Heidelberg as well as through its distributors worldwide. Further information can be found by visiting www.genebridges.com

About Chugai Pharmaceutical

Chugai Pharmaceutical, specialized in prescription pharmaceuticals and based in Tokyo, is one of Japan’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies with strengths in biotechnology products. Since the start of its strategic alliance with Roche in October 2002, Chugai has been actively involved in prescription pharmaceutical R&D activities in Japan and abroad as an important member of the Roche Group. Specifically, Chugai is working to develop innovative products with global applications, focusing on the disease areas of oncology, renal disease, and bone and joint. In Japan, Chugai’s research facilities in Gotemba and Kamakura are collaborating to develop new pharmaceuticals and Ukima is conducting research for technology development for industrial production. Overseas, Chugai Pharma USA and Chugai Pharma Europe are engaged in clinical development activities in the United States and Europe. The consolidated sales in 2008 of Chugai totalled 326.9 billion yen and the operating profit was 51.6 billion yen. The company is aiming to achieve consolidated sales of 460 billion yen and operating profit of 80 billion yen in 2012, as stated in its new mid-term business plan “Sunris2012”.