HBIO INTRODUCES THE FIRST HIGH THROUGHPUT DRUG SCREENING PLATFORM FOR USE WITH ZEBRAFISH

Automated Platform Offers Ability To Perform High-Throughput Gene Analysis and Screening in Zebrafish

HOLLISTON, Mass., Dec. 18, 2001 -- Harvard Bioscience, Inc., (Nasdaq: HBIO) inventor, through its Union Biometrica subsidiary, of unique automated technology for use with small model organisms (SMOs) such as the nematode C. elegans and fruit fly D. melanogaster, today announced the introduction of its newest automated platform for use with the Zebrafish, D. rerio. The introduction of this product was accelerated to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Zebrafish research community worldwide. "This automated system should speed up the identification and validation of new drug targets as well as rapid drug compound screening in Zebrafish", said David Green, President of Harvard Bioscience, Inc. Harvard Bioscience believes that this technology will be used to both screen compound libraries for their effectiveness and for their ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and toxicity) properties. Poor ADMET properties are the main reason drugs fail in expensive late stage clinical trials.

The Zebrafish is becoming popular as a model organism for three reasons. First, because the Zebrafish is a vertebrate it is closer to humans than either the nematode or the fruit fly. The Zebrafish displays similar organ systems to humans - it has a brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and reproductive organs as well as circulatory, nervous and immune systems - and significant similarity in its genetic content. Second, it is translucent enabling the analysis of gene, protein and organ function without the need for surgery. Published papers in major journals have recently shown the analysis of lipid and cholesterol metabolism with fluorescently tagged substrates or drug compounds. Third, it is relatively easy to dose drugs to Zebrafish. The animal readily ingests the drug compound with its food and metabolizes it through its digestive system. This is a major advantage over the fruit fly and the nematode both of which have difficulty absorbing drugs.

"We found that we were able to analyze and sort not only Zebrafish eggs and embryos in microtiter plates, but also hatchlings, with excellent viability", said David Strack, President of Union Biometrica, Inc. "Private demonstrations of sorting transgenic animals based on organ-specific fluorescence reporter gene expression, have generated a lot of enthusiasm".

COPAS technology is used by major pharmaceutical companies and prestigious academic research laboratories to sort, dispense and perform drug screening with SMOs. The COPAS Technology Platform is the worldÕs only automated system for high-throughput testing of live model organisms, analyzing up to 100 organisms per second.

About Harvard Bioscience Inc.

Harvard Bioscience is a global developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative, enabling tools in drug discovery research at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities and government laboratories. HBIO sells approximately 10,000 products to thousands of researchers in over 60 countries though its direct sales force, 1,000 page catalog, and through its distributors, the most notable of which is AP Biotech. HBIO has sales and manufacturing operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium with sales facilities in France and Canada. For more information please visit www.harvardbioscience.com or www.unionbio.com.

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