SHAREHOLDER DEAL IN PHARMAGENE MERGER

TRADING in Pharmagene shares was suspended on Monday with news of a reverse takeover that will mean about 15 job losses. The human tissue based drug development company at Royston is merging with Asterand, a private US company also focused on human tissue for drug discovery. Combining the two companies will create a leading entity in this specialised sector, with a supply network of 70 sites across the US, UK and continental Europe, and a bank of 300,000 samples.

Cambridge Evening News (http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/business/news/2005/09/19/4956af3a-cf4d-48b7-bebc-3ee32ca813c3.lpf)