25 May, 2005

Collaboration Program with Cangen Biotechnologies, an U.S. Biotech Firm on Development of Molecular Diagnostic Test for Lung Cancer

Olympus Corporation (President: Tsuyoshi Kikukawa) has concluded a collaboration agreement with Cangen Biotechnologies, Inc. (Maryland, USA; CEO: Chul So Moon, M.D., Ph.D., President: Richard A. Silfen) for the development of a hybrid DNA-based and protein-based diagnostic test for use in the detection of lung cancer.

Olympus has been a participant since December 2002 in the activities of Cosmos Alliance (www.cosmosalliance.com, Washington D.C., USA; Chairman & CEO: Prof. Frank Young), an international alliance formed to accelerate commercialization in the bio life sciences through equity investments, joint ventures, collaborative research and technology transfer. Through Cosmos-facilitated joint development programs, technical cooperation programs and capital investment into the Technical- and R&D-Members within the Cosmos Bio Life Sciences Alliance that possess innovative biotech expertise, Olympus plans to accelerate the commercialization of its own range of advanced biotech-related products, which includes instruments for genome and protein analysis. The collaboration agreement with Cangen Biotechnologies represents one of these efforts.

Overview of Cangen Biotechnologies

Address: One Democracy Plaza, Suite 700, 6701 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20817, US CEO: Chul So Moon, M.D., Ph.D. President: Richard A. Silfen Founded: November 2000 About Cangen Biotechnologies: Cangen Biotechnologies: Cangen Biotechnologies, Inc. is a cancer-focused biotechnology company developing non-invasive diagnostic tests for early detection of cancer, chemosensitivity technologies to enhance the selection of cancer therapeutic regimes as well as targeted drug and biologic cancer therapies, including vaccines. The company is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 3 study to evaluate a diagnostic test for the early detection of bladder cancer, based on microsatellite DNA alterations. Cangen Biotechnologies is based in Bethesda, MD, has laboratories in Rockville, MD and Baltimore, MD and also has operations in Seoul, Korea.