Press Releases

ACLARA and Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. Enter into Antibody Supply Agreement

Beverly, MA – November 17, 2003 – Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. (CST) today announced the signing of a supply and license agreement with ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACLA), of Mountain View, CA for the use and resale of certain CST reagents when they are used in conjunction with ACLARA‘s eTag Assay System. These reagents include antibodies to key signaling molecules such as kinases and related materials. CST has considerable expertise in the generation of these types of reagents, and has built a strong reputation for quality products.

Signal transduction pathways, and the molecules that comprise them, chiefly kinases, have been an important focus for cell biology research for many years. The significant role they play in directing such critical processes as cell differentiation, proliferation and death are now moving them to the forefront of pharmaceutical discovery.

The eTag Assay System is a high performance, high throughput system for the simultaneous measurement of 10’s to 100’s of genes, proteins, and cell-based antigens across thousands of samples. The eTag platform makes it possible for researchers to measure multiple aspects of a complex biological system, enabling the study of gene expression, protein expression, cell signaling and pathway activation, protein-protein interaction, post-translational modifications and cell receptor binding - all in the same sample and with the same platform. The system is being commercialized for use both in drug discovery research and to support preclinical and clinical development of specific targeted therapies.

ACLARA BioSciences, Inc. is developing advanced tools for drug discovery and development using its proprietary eTag assay platform. The Company’s products provide researchers with decision-critical information for drug development, which previously was difficult or impossible to obtain. The solution-phase eTag Assay System is cost-effective, easy-to-use and flexible, and enables highly accurate, precise and sensitive analysis of genes and/or proteins from limited amounts of biological samples. Importantly, researchers can use their existing instrument platforms to perform eTag analyses. More information on ACLARA can be obtained on the Company's web site at www.aclara.com.