Tuesday, July 17, 2007


ATHENS, Ohio, Jul. 17, 2007 (Business Wire) -- A team of researchers headed up by Diagnostic HYBRIDS' Director of Monoclonal Antibody Product Development, Jimmy Page, Ph.D., and Mark Carle Connelly, Ph.D., Vice President of Reagent Development for Immunicon Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMC), has received the National Academy of Biochemistry's Distinguished Abstract Award from the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry for their abstract and poster presentation on an automated cell interrogation system designed to detect respiratory virus-infected cells directly in nasopharyngeal specimens from patients.

The poster, 'Adaptation of Automated Rare Cell Analysis to Direct Detection of Virus-Infected Cells in Cell Culture and Nasopharyngeal (NP) Samples', to be presented at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's (AACC) Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., July 15-19, 2007, was selected as one of only 14 posters to receive the award. More than 720 entries were submitted.

'My co-authors and I are honored that our research has been chosen by the NACB for this prestigious award,' Page said. 'We are excited about the potential of this system to improve clinical practice for common upper respiratory ailments and encouraged by this vote of confidence,' he added.

The research poster describes development of a next-generation automated system that provides rapid, sensitive, and objective detection of three of the most common respiratory viruses, Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, directly in the cells of patient specimens. Early experiments presented in the original abstract utilizing magnetic capture technology are followed by more promising recent findings summarized in the poster: Innovative sample processing coupled with automated fluorescence microscopy and sophisticated computer-driven algorithms were shown to allow objective, highly sensitive test results to be obtained in under 10 minutes, according to Connelly.

When fully developed and commercially available, the system is expected to provide clinicians and laboratories with objective, rapid, highly sensitive and specific results for use in diagnosing respiratory diseases caused by viruses, such as influenza. By quickly and accurately identifying the virus causing the infection, the clinician can prescribe the appropriate antiviral drug therapy that will eliminate the virus and hasten improvement of the patient's condition. Also, identifying a virus as the infectious agent should reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotic therapy, which is often prescribed for lack of knowledge of whether the infectious agent is bacterial or viral in origin. Diagnostic HYBRIDS plans further and more extensive testing of the system in clinical laboratories during the coming Influenza season in order to develop data for submission to the FDA.

Page will be in attendance and honored along with other award winners at this year's NACB awards luncheon July 18 during the AACC meeting in San Diego.

About Diagnostic HYBRIDS

Diagnostic HYBRIDS invents, develops, manufactures, and sells innovative diagnostic and analytical products for a wide range of viral respiratory diseases, herpes virus infections, and other specific viral and thyroid diseases. The company also develops and commercializes innovative and genetically engineered cell-based detection products for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, with an initial focus on pharmacology assays and products that measure drug clearance and anti-viral interventions with drugs and vaccines. The company is certified to ISO 13485 standards and manufactures live continuous and primary cell cultures for clinical diagnostics and pharmacology assays from its headquarters in Athens, OH. Diagnostic HYBRIDS was named one of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America in 2004 and 2005 by Inc. Magazine. The company is a pillar member of BioOhio, a statewide organization of bioscience companies accelerating the bioscience and healthcare economy in Ohio. For more information, please visit www.dhiusa.com.

About Immunicon Corporation

Immunicon Corporation is developing and commercializing proprietary cell- and molecular-based human diagnostic and life science research products, and is providing certain analytical services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to assist them in developing new therapeutic agents, with an initial focus on cancer disease management. Immunicon has developed platform technologies to identify, count and characterize a small number of rare cells in blood, such as circulating tumor cells and circulating endothelial cells that are important in many diseases and biological processes. Immunicon's products and underlying technology platforms also have application in cancer research and may have applications in other fields of medicine, such as cardiovascular and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit www.immunicon.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often preceded by words such as 'hope,' 'may,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'plan,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'assume,' 'will' and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, among others, statements regarding the anticipated clinical utility of Immunicon's products and other statements not of historical fact. Immunicon cautions investors not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release, are based on the current expectations and intent of the management of Immunicon and involve certain factors, such as risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be far different from those suggested by these statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: Immunicon's dependence on Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, in the field of cancer cell analysis; the ability to earn license and milestone payments under Immunicon's agreement with Veridex; Immunicon's capital and financing needs; research and development and clinical trial expenditures; commercialization of product candidates; Immunicon's ability to obtain licenses from third parties to commercialize products; Immunicon's ability to manage its growth; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; reliance on third party manufacturers and suppliers; reimbursement by third party payors to Immunicon's customers; compliance with applicable manufacturing standards; retaining key personnel; delays in the development of new products or planned improvements to products; effectiveness of products compared to competitors' products; protection of Immunicon's intellectual property; conflicts with third party intellectual property; product liability lawsuits that may be brought against Immunicon; labor, contract or technical difficulties; and competitive pressures in Immunicon's industry. These factors are discussed in more detail in Immunicon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Immunicon accepts no responsibility for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the published date, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or for modifications made to this document by Internet or wire services.

'Immunicon' is a registered trademark of Immunicon Corporation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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