Olympus Corporation (Olympus, President: Tsuyoshi Kikukawa) and VisEn Medical, Inc. (VisEn, CEO: Kirtland G. Poss, headquarters: Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) will offer three new types of VisEn in vivo near infrared fluorescence probes. The new products will be launched progressively in Japan and four other Asian markets, starting on May 7, 2007. Olympus previously signed an exclusive distribution agreement in Asia covering VisEn's near infrared fluorescence imaging (FMT) systems and fluorescence imaging probes and has progressively commenced sales of these products in Japan and four other Asian markets since September 2006. The addition of the three new in vivo near infrared fluorescence probes will further expand the range of molecular imaging research to include disease research and drug development in such fields as oncology, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and bone disease.

Overview of Launch

Products	Launch Date	Sales Area
MMPSense AngioSPARK AminoSPARK (In vivo near infrared fluorescence probes)	May 7, 2007	Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China

Features and Applications of New Products

1. Probes capable of visualizing the activity of MMP^* present in tumors and inflamed areas
2. Probes capable of enabling prolonged in vivo observation
3. Probes capable of enabling fluorescent tagging of target molecules

*MMP:	Matrix metalloproteinase

Background

In vivo imaging has become an essential tool used in leading-edge biotechnology research. It is used to study biological functions through real-time observation of cells and internal organs in live subjects. This field has expanded rapidly in step with advances in molecular imaging, which is used to analyze where and how genes and proteins actually function in vivo.

Near infrared fluorescence imaging, which is based on the use of fluorescent light to visualize the behavior of molecules, is emerging as the core technology for in vivo imaging in the disease research and drug development fields. The relatively long wave-length of near infrared light can penetrate living tissues, allowing non-invasive observation of areas deep inside living subjects. The three new near infrared fluorescence probes were developed for use in this type of imaging, use of which is expected to expand rapidly in the future. They are suitable for use with highly sensitive molecular imaging equipment, such as VisEn's fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) system and Olympus's OV110 small animal imaging system and IV100 intravital laser scanning microscope. Olympus aims to contribute to an improved understanding of biological phenomena and the advancement of next-generation medicine by accelerating its efforts to develop molecular imaging applications capable of revealing phenomena that were previously invisible.

Detailed Product Features

1. MMPSense:-Probes capable of visualizing MMP activity in tumors and other sites of inflammation
   MMPSense is an in vivo near infrared fluorescence probe capable of visualizing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in tumors and other sites of inflammation in vivo. In its non-active state, the probe is not fluorescent, but it emits strong fluorescent light in response to MMP activity. It is known that MMP activity is involved in many disease-related phenomena among others, including cancer propagation, invasion and metastasis, inflammation, host response, and in areas of cardiovascular disease, and there is keen interest in imaging these activities in vivo, thereby proving breakthrough insights into the knowledge or disease process and implications of this for the development of anticancer drugs and other research.
2. AngioSPARK:-Probes capable of enabling prolonged in vivo observation
   AngioSPARK comprises iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a biocompatible polymer. The result is an in vivo near infrared fluorescence probe capable of maintaining a brighter and more stable in vivo fluorescence than was previously possible. It is suitable for prolonged monitoring of blood vessels and observation of various phenomena, such as blood leakage in tumors and inflamed areas.
3. AminoSPARK:-Probes capable of enabling fluorescent tagging of target molecules
   AminoSPARK is an in vivo near infrared fluorescence probe comprising iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a biocompatible polymer. AminoSPARK contains an amine functionalized surface that serves as an optical platform suitable for further chemistry and conjugation to a variety of amine reactive molecules. This characteristic is useful for various purposes, such as the observation of interactions between tumors and drug candidates.

Note:	In vivo near infrared fluorescence probes are intended exclusively for use in animal testing and cannot be used clinically.