CIPHE Ciphergen Biosystems (MM)

FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CIPHE) announced today that it has signed a Distribution and Marketing Agreement with Techcomp (Holdings) Limited whereby Techcomp will distribute Ciphergen's ProteinChip(R) family of products in the People's Republic of China (excluding Taiwan), Hong Kong, Republic of Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Ciphergen and Techcomp have also entered into a product development and manufacturing agreement for sample preparation technology and an associated device. The resulting product(s) would be manufactured by Techcomp and sold by Ciphergen on a worldwide basis. "We are delighted to be working with Techcomp to cover a market that clearly has significant potential for Ciphergen," stated Gail S. Page, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ciphergen. "Techcomp has a proven capability in these territories in distributing and servicing analytical instruments, life science instrumentation and laboratory equipment for other companies such as Hitachi. In addition, they are a proven original design manufacturer for international companies and under their own brand for the Chinese market." "We believe that there is a significant market opportunity in China for the ProteinChip technology and with our wide coverage of the Chinese customer base we are confident we can contribute to the success of Ciphergen. We have already spent the last six months getting close to the existing installed base in China and have prepared our sales and service force through training to effectively market and service this product line," stated Richard Lo, President of Techcomp. About Ciphergen Ciphergen is dedicated to the discovery of protein biomarkers and panels of biomarkers and their development into protein molecular diagnostic tests that improve patient care; and to providing collaborative R&D services through its Biomarker Discovery Center(R) laboratories for biomarker discovery for new diagnostic tests as well as pharmacoproteomic services for improved drug toxicology, efficacy and theranostic assays. Ciphergen develops, manufactures and markets a family of ProteinChip(R) Systems and services for clinical, research and process proteomics applications. ProteinChip Systems enable protein discovery, validation, identification and assay development to provide researchers with predictive, multi-marker assay capabilities and a better understanding of biological function at the protein level. Additional information about Ciphergen can be found at http://www.ciphergen.com/. About Techcomp (Holdings) Limited Founded in 1988 and listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange main board, Techcomp is principally engaged in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of analytical instruments, life science equipment and laboratory instruments. The Group has its principal manufacturing operations in Shanghai; it designs and manufactures various instruments, including gas and ion chromatographs, UV-Vis spectrophotometers and centrifuges for its house brand "Techcomp" and for other companies on original design manufacture ("ODM"), original equipment manufacturing ("OEM") and private label bases. The Group's manufacturing and distribution products cater to the academic, industrial, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other research and laboratory markets, as well as the clinical laboratory and healthcare industries, agricultural and environmental industries, and government agencies. The Group distributes analytical instruments, life science equipment and laboratory instruments to customers in China and around the world through its trading subsidiaries located in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, and its 11 liaison offices in China. Through its subsidiaries and third party distributors, it is also able to offer its customers maintenance and application support and repair services for all the products manufactured and distributed. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.techcomp.com.hk/ Safe Harbor Statement Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: For purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"), Ciphergen disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and claims the protection of the Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Act. Examples of such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the market potential in China for Ciphergen and its ProteinChip products, and plans to develop, manufacture and sell a sample preparation device in collaboration with Techcomp. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements due to various factors, including the risk that future sales may not materialize in China for Ciphergen and that Techcomp may not succeed in developing a sample preparation device for Ciphergen that meets with commercial success. Investors should consult Ciphergen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-Q dated December 21, 2005, for further information regarding these and other risks of the Company's business. NOTE: Ciphergen, ProteinChip and Biomarker Discovery Center are registered trademarks of Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact: scarruthers@ciphergen.com DATASOURCE: Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. CONTACT: Sue Carruthers, Investor Relations of Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc., +1-510-505-2233 Web site: http://www.techcomp.com.hk/ Web site: http://www.ciphergen.com/

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