Emerging Medical Technologies, East September 18, 2000

    BEVERLY, Mass., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Hamilton Thorne Research, Inc.
("HTR") has focused on genetic testing of single cells.  Its enabling
technologies and automated rare event detection systems have broad
applications in cancer, pre-natal testing and cell research.  Single cell
analysis and automated "rare event" identification, permit the earliest
detection and treatment of cancer or prediction of prenatal disorders and
genetic disease. In particular, HTR intends to introduce a system that could
replace amniocentesis as the method of choice for prenatal testing in
high-risk women.
    Amniocentesis is invasive, costly, poses an increased risk of miscarriage
and takes place in the second trimester. The Company intends to offer a system
that permits genetic testing of fetal cells from circulating maternal blood,
thus introducing an early prenatal assay that is non-invasive, more accurate
than the current  "triple test" and entails no increased risk of miscarriage.
    The market for prenatal testing is estimated to grow at 20% per year,
reach more than $2.5 billion by 2005 and serve a patient population of over 20
million women in the developed world. In the USA, 60% of women already choose
to undergo some type of prenatal screening, demonstrating a strong base of
acceptance for early evaluation.  However, current techniques such as the
"triple test" can suffer from 20% inaccuracies and ultrasound or amniocentesis
take place in the second trimester.
    Amniocentesis or similar procedures are now a standard of care for all
pregnant women over age 35 and many over age 32 in the industrialized world.
The discovery that certain fetal cells circulate in maternal blood is
predicted to revolutionize prenatal testing (Bianchi et al, 1999) and permit
accurate prenatal analysis from a test on blood from the mother's arm.. Now
that such testing can take place early in pregnancy, the major diagnostic
challenge arises from the fact that only 1 fetal cell may be found in millions
of maternal blood cells.
    Enhancing the Company's single cell diagnostic systems are amplification
technologies, reagents and other proprietary breakthroughs.  HTR is forming a
separate business unit to realize the potential for these technologies in
markets outside the company's focus of women's reproductive health care.
    HTR has been a provider of analytical instrumentation such as cell
analyzers and software to reproductive health care clinics and reproductive
toxicology laboratories in the US and overseas. The Company's first biotech
products are scheduled for roll-out in  the fourth  quarter of  2000 and HTR
intends to pursue strategic alliances with a third party or parties capable of
distributing effectively the reagents, test kits and automated systems on a
large scale basis.

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