Mycosafe and ViruSure: Two Austrian Biosafety Companies Expand to Asia

VIENNA, Austria and SINGAPORE - Mycoplasma biosafety specialist Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH and virus and
prion biosafety company ViruSure GmbH - both based in Vienna, Austria - today
announced at BioMedical Asia 2009 that they are to establish a second site in
Singapore as part of a joint venture. This move will ensure that both
companies are in an ideal position to offer the biosafety expertise and
laboratory services so urgently required in the rapidly-expanding
biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in Asia.

In the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, contamination with
mycoplasmas, viruses and prions can result in losses worth millions if they
are detected too late due to a lack of warning signs or inadequate
contamination checks. The knock-on effect is that therapeutics are not
approved for the market due to inconsistencies in the manufacturing process,
diminished quality and possible risks to health.

Mycosafe has an international reputation as leading service provider of
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)-certified quality-control analyses for
detecting and preventing mycoplasma contamination. The company is now to
establish its first branch abroad with the site in Singapore. Founder and
Managing Director of Mycosafe Prof. Renate Rosengarten: “As mycoplasmas have
the potential to cause considerable damage, well-defined mycoplasma biosafety
testing procedures are laid down in international regulatory protocols. Based
on these standard procedures, more rapid and technologically innovative
alternative test methods have recently been developed and are currently being
validated for compliance with the regulatory requirements. Mycosafe began
specialising in this market niche five years ago and is now one of few
providers worldwide that can offer sound scientific and regulatory know-how
in this area. Our new site in Singapore enables us to bring this expertise to
the expanding Asian bioscience and biopharmaceutical industry.”

ViruSure was founded four years ago and, like Mycosafe, it has succeeded
in establishing a reputation as key biosafety company among the international
biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Dr. Andy Bailey, co-founder and
Managing Director of ViruSure: “Mycoplasma biosafety demands special
scientific and regulatory expertise and experience. Similarly, the detection
and management of virus and prion contamination requires state-of-the-art
know-how and experience built up over many years. As one of few companies
specialising in this area, ViruSure offers this know-how and experience as
part of its customer-focused services and first-class-quality standards.”

A commercial office in Singapore’s renowned Biopolis is representing both
companies to establish new business relationships in the Asia region. Dr.
Bailey: “With its roots in the existing cooperation at our respective
headquarters in Vienna, the joint venture between Mycosafe and ViruSure
offers our customers an expanded high-quality portfolio of biosafety
services. With this strategic advantage in mind, we have announced our joint
venture at a workshop on mycoplasma and virus risk minimisation strategies
that was organised by Mycosafe and ViruSure as part of BioMedical Asia 2009.”

Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH

Mycosafe is a GMP-certified company specialised in mycoplasma biosafety
testing and associated validation, contract research and consulting services.
The company was founded in 2003 by internationally renowned mycoplasma-expert
Prof. Rosengarten as spin-off of the Institute for Bacteriology, Mycology and
Hygiene headed by her at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. At its
headquarters in Vienna the company has a workforce of 19 and state-of-the-art
S1-S3 laboratories.

ViruSure GmbH

ViruSure specialises in virus and prion biosafety testing and associated
regulatory and consulting services. The company was founded in 2005 as
spin-off of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. At its main
headquarters in Vienna the company has a workforce of 17 and state-of-the-art
S1-S3 laboratories.

Contact:
Telephone: +4315057044

Prof. Rosengarten/Mycosafe
Diagnostics GmbH:
renate.rosengarten@mycosafe.com

Dr. Bailey/ViruSure GmbH:
andy_bailey@virusure.com

Source: Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH and ViruSure GmbH

Contact: Telephone: +4315057044, Prof. Rosengarten/Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH: renate.rosengarten at mycosafe.com; Dr. Bailey/ViruSure GmbH: andy_bailey at virusure.com