NextGen Sciences announces alliance with Paragon Bioservices Inc.

Cambridgeshire, UK - NextGen Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of NextGen Group, has announced a commercial alliance with Paragon Bioservices Inc., a provider of contract research and manufacturing services in support of developing biologics.

The alliance expands the portfolio of both companies with the ability to offer existing and future customers an integrated offering including molecular biology, protein production, proteomics, functional assay development, biomarker discovery and monitoring.

This alliance extends NextGen Sciences' commitment to expand their fee for service offering in strategic partnerships in addition to adding new capabilities in house such as the protein biomarker monitoring services which was announced in November 2007. NextGen Sciences and Paragon Bioservices have agreed to co-market each other's fee for service offerings to the market which now allows client companies to choose a one stop shop for their entire gene to protein needs.

Dr. Mike Pisano, CEO of NextGen Sciences, said the company is looking forward to working with the team at Paragon.

"I have known them for over the past five years and respect their excellent service record in the industry," he said. "They have great credibility in the market and together with the unique capabilities of NextGen Sciences, we believe that we have the broadest and most exciting range of products and services available in the gene to protein arena to take to our existing and potential new customers. Already the customers of both companies are telling us that this is an exciting opportunity for them and look forward to working with the new alliance."

"[NextGen Sciences'] instrumentation and software in the molecular biology area and their expertise in protein biomarker discovery and monitoring fits around our protein production and functional assay services very nicely," says Dr. Marco Chacon, CEO of Paragon Bioservices. "Working with NextGen Sciences gives our customers a broad range of services to access from a single point of contact whether you have been a customer of NextGen Sciences or Paragon Bioservices in the past."