SAN DIEGO, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nanogen, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGEN), developer of molecular and point-of-care diagnostic products, have announced that it was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,780,584, "Electronic Systems and Component Devices for Macroscopic and Microscopic Molecular Biological Reactions, Analyses and Diagnostics," by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The '584 patent covers the design, development, and capability of an electronic system to carry out and control multi-step and multiplex reactions in macroscopic or microscopic formats. The system described in the patent is at the core of Nanogen's electronic microarray technology, which uses electricity to move and concentrate biological samples in miniature formats for diagnostic applications.

The '584 patent covers technology that controls biological reactions by managing the localized concentration of two or more reaction-dependant molecules and their reaction environment. This approach greatly enhances the rate and specificity of the molecular biological reaction, as evidenced by the Nanogen microarray's ability to accelerate molecular binding up to 1,000 times faster than traditional passive methods. The technology described in this broad patent enables control over a wide range of molecular reactions involved in molecular analyses and diagnostics, including nucleic acid hybridizations and amplification, antibody and antigen reactions, and more.

"Nanogen's unique approach of integrating sophisticated microelectronics and molecular biology made the NanoChip(R) Electronic Microarray the first to be used in developing fast and accurate molecular diagnostic tests," said Howard C. Birndorf, Nanogen chairman and chief executive officer. "With the issuance of patent '584, Nanogen increases its intellectual property portfolio enabling the continued development and commercialization of advanced diagnostics that provide physicians and patients valuable healthcare information."

About Nanogen
Nanogen, Inc. develops and commercializes products for the molecular and point-of-care diagnostics markets. The company seeks to establish the unique, open-architecture NanoChip(R) Molecular Biology Workstation and NanoChip(R) Cartridge as the standard platform for the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of genetic and infectious diseases. Nanogen offers Analyte Specific Reagents and related products to research and clinical reference labs for the development of tests for the detection of genetic mutations associated with a variety of diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular disease. The company's ten years of research involving nanotechnology may also have future applications in medical diagnostics, biowarfare and other industries. Nanogen's business unit, SynX Pharma, leverages proteomic and biomarker research to offer a line of point-of-care diagnostic tests.

For additional information please visit Nanogen's website at www.nanogen.com.

SOURCE Nanogen, Inc.

CONTACT: David Ludvigson, President & Chief Operating Officer of
Nanogen, Inc., +1-858-410-4600, dludvigson@nanogen.com; or Pam Lord of Atkins
+ Associates, +1-858-527-3494, plord@irpr.com, for Nanogen, Inc.
Web site: http://www.nanogen.com /