SAN DIEGO, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nanogen, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NGEN ) , developer of advanced diagnostic products, announced today its subsidiary, Epoch Biosciences, was issued Patent No. 6,951,930, "Hybridization-Triggered Fluorescent Detection of Nucleic Acids" by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The '930 patent relates to latent fluorophore-minor groove binder oligonucleotide conjugates which fluoresce upon hybridization to a target. The conjugates may be used to detect nucleic acid targets. The technology described in the patent also allows for simpler and faster fluorescent real-time molecular analyses.

Sensitive and specific detection of nucleic acid targets play an integral role in any molecular application, including infectious and genetic disease diagnostics. Using the latent fluorescent-minor groove binder oligonucleotide conjugates, with low fluorescing backgrounds, either as primers or probes, can create improved diagnostic reagents. These reagents contain shorter highly conserved sequence regions improving assay specificity, and the probes are non-cleavable which allows post-PCR melt curve analysis.

"Nanogen and the Epoch researchers are continually discovering methods to improve the sensitivity and specificity of detection for nucleic acid targets related to disease," said Howard C. Birndorf, Nanogen chairman and chief executive officer. "Nanogen's MGB(TM) products that incorporate this improved, fluorescent target detection technology are well recognized by many researchers and diagnostic labs as the standard for real-time PCR probe and primer technology. Our strong intellectual property and technology development capabilities will allow us to bring highly valued molecular diagnostic products to the market and our partners and ultimately help change healthcare practices."

About Nanogen, Inc.

Nanogen's advanced diagnostics provide researchers, clinicians and physicians worldwide with improved methods and tests to predict, diagnose and ultimately help treat disease. The company's products include real-time PCR reagents, the NanoChip(R) 400 and NanoChip(R) Molecular Biology Workstation platform for molecular diagnostic applications and a line of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests. Nanogen's ten years of pioneering research involving nanotechnology holds the promise of miniaturization and continues to be supported for its potential for diagnostic and biowarfare applications. For additional information please visit Nanogen's website at www.nanogen.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including whether patents owned or licensed by Nanogen will be developed into products, whether the patents owned by Nanogen offer any protection against competitors with competing technologies, whether products under development can be successfully developed and commercialized, whether results reported by our customers or partners can be identically replicated, and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption "Factors That May Affect Results" and elsewhere in Nanogen's Form 10-K or Form 10-Q most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Nanogen disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Source: Nanogen, Inc.

CONTACT: Robert Saltmarsh, Chief Financial Officer of Nanogen, Inc.,
+1-858-410-4600, rsaltmarsh@nanogen.com ; or media & investor relations, Pam
Lord of Atkins + Associates, +1-858-527-3494, plord@irpr.com , for Nanogen,
Inc.

Web site: http://www.nanogen.com/