Mountain
View, California‹Dec. 20, 2005‹Oxonica,
plc (AIM: OXN), a leading publicly-traded international
nanotechnology company, announced today that it has
acquired Nanoplex Technologies, Inc., a developer
of novel encoded nanoparticles. Nanoplex will be
renamed Oxonica, Inc., and will be headquartered
in Mountain View, California.
Dr. Michael Natan, founder of Nanoplex, commented, ³Nanoplex¹s
longstanding goal has been to develop valuable products
based on our metal particle nanotechnologies, with
an emphasis on the diagnostics and brand security
markets. Oxonica¹s leading products, Optisol and
Envirox, are examples of exactly what we want
to achieve: novel, best-of-breed, nanotechnology-enabled
offerings with a solid IP foundation. Adding Oxonica¹s
management expertise and sales and marketing infrastructure
to Nanoplex¹s IP base and know-how in nanomaterials,
bioassays, optical engineering, and software will
allow us to develop better products in a shorter
time frame and with greater global reach.²
³The acquisition of Nanoplex,² said Oxonica
CEO Kevin Matthews, ³marks the next step in
strengthening Oxonica¹s market position in advanced
diagnostics by creating a unique combination of scientific,
manufacturing and business development skills to
facilitate the commercialization of next-generation
products.²
Based in Mountain View, California, Nanoplex is known
for its Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)
nanotags and Nanobarcodes® nanoparticles.
Based in Oxford, UK, Oxonica has a reputation as
a leading developer of
commercial, nanotech-enabled products. Combining
the two companies will
facilitate the development of detection technologies
enabling a full spectrum of transformational diagnostic
tools that bridge the healthcare market from drug
discovery, to the clinical laboratory and point-of-care.
³This is a strategic acquisition for Oxonica,² said
David Browning, CEO of Oxonica Healthcare, ³because
it compliments our core strength in multiplexed biolabeling
while providing us a base from which to develop sales
of the Group¹s product portfolio in the United
States. Together, we will address unmet needs within
high-growth markets, including healthcare and brand
security.²
Under the terms of the acquisition, Michael Natan
will be named President of Oxonica, Inc., reporting
directly to Kevin Matthews with operational direction
from David Browning, CEO of Oxonica Healthcare. Additionally,
Nanoplex Chairman Dr. Gordon Ringold will join the
Board of Directors of Oxonica, plc.
About Oxonica, plc
Oxonica, plc, is a leading international nanomaterials
group with products in the international marketplace.
The company is publicly held and trades on the London
Stock Exchange¹s AIM exchange. Oxonica, plc,
was spun out of Oxford University in 1999 and currently
employs 37 professionals. Oxonica¹s mission
is to develop innovative commercial applications
for nanomaterials and has three divisions: Oxonica
Energy, Oxonica Healthcare, and Oxonica Materials.
For further information, please visit www.oxonica.com <http://www.oxonica.com>.
About Nanoplex Technologies, Inc.
Nanoplex Technologies is developing nanoparticle-based
products for life science research, for ultra-sensitive
molecular identification and quantitation, and for
authentication and tracking applications. The company¹s
goal is to rapidly convert state-of-the-art nanoscience
into practical and valuable products. Nanoplex employs
17 professionals and is located in Mountain View,
California. For more information see www.nanoplextech.com <http://www.nanoplextech.com>.
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