LouisianaEmerging Technology Center’s First Tenant Moves In

( Baton Rouge, LA / November 18, 2005) — United States Antigens Corporation (USAC), a Louisiana biotech product and services company, became the first tenant to locate their laboratory in the recently completed Louisiana Emerging Technology Center (LETC) on the LSU campus.

Because U.S. Antigens offers products and services to meet the needs of the biomedical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, environmental, agricultural and academic research markets, it is particularly well suited to be located in the wet lab incubator.  LETC nurtures start-up companies focused on life sciences research and production and was designed for companies requiring wet lab facilities.

U. S. Antigens’ products and services include basic life science research, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and development, and cell and biomass production for therapeutic, research and diagnostics applications.  The company’s proprietary production systems are self-contained, robotic research labs.

According to Dr. George P. Kearney, USAC’s President and Chief Scientific Officer, “our robotic laboratory design was developed in conjunction with NASA and the United States Department of Defense for use on the shuttle and space station. It has flown on multiple missions over the last decade. It is extremely efficient and effective for biotech and pharmaceutical research and production.”

USAC will be undertaking several projects at the new location which will be of particular significance.  “For example, we are developing unique therapeutics for use against the avian flu (bird flu) in conjunction with personnel from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center,” said Kearney.  “Obviously, the ability to produce the appropriate flu vaccine quickly and efficiently could become a major factor should the threat of a pandemic materialize."  U.S. Antigens has a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with LSU’s Health Science Center and the LSU System for research and product development.

“Currently it can take up to 5 years to bring a typical production plant on line.  However, because of the adaptability of the robotics model, a plant can be on line in 12-18 months at a substantially lower cost and a shorter lead-time for developers.  This amounts to a significant advantage for projects that will be addressed by USAC," according to Michael Ezell, Chief Financial Officer of USAC.  

At the opening of the Louisiana Emerging Technology Center recently, LSU System President Dr. William Jenkins noted that the LETC will be a hub of research and entrepreneurship and will spur economic development for Louisiana.  U.S. Antigen’s lab locating to the LETC is a prime example of the wet lab’s impact on economic development.

“Dr. Kearney was planning to set up this company in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park”, said Richard Ieyoub, USAC Chairman and former three-term Attorney General of Louisiana.  “But, with the potential of the Emerging Technology Center, its proximity to LSU’s research community, and the clinical trials and therapeutics being developed at LSU, we were able to persuade Dr. Kearney that Louisiana was an attractive alternative.  Without the LETC, we would have been unable to compete with other states, and we could not have succeeded in locating U.S. Antigens in Louisiana.  I have always believed that establishing biotech industry in our state will result in tremendous opportunities for economic development.”    USAC also has a laboratory in New Orleans.

“The services and capabilities offered by U.S. Antigens will be a major asset to our other tenants and the Louisiana biotechnology community”, said Arthur Cooper, Executive Director of the Louisiana Emerging Technology Center.  USAC will be located on the second floor of LETC in one of the five wet labs with an option on an additional lab.  The second floor also offers a shared laboratory as well as an additional 13 offices, conference rooms and classrooms.                                               

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George P. Kearney, Ph.D.

President and Chief Scientific Officer

United States Antigen Corporation

Dr. Kearney holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry with specialization in the field of biochemistry.  He is a systems designer and holds two utility patents in the area of culture devices and instruments including one for systems that perform automated cell culturing and testing.  He has more than 30 years experience in analytical biochemistry including instrumentation and methods development, process validation, quality control and production laboratory management.  Of this experience, ten years are in the areas of clinical pharmacology, drug metabolism and analytical toxicology. 

Dr. Kearney’s recent experience includes tenure as Manager of Laboratories and Associate Director of Clinical Toxicology at CompuChem Laboratories, Research Triangle Park, NC.  He directed operations of a work force of 177 scientists and technicians with an annual workload of 1.5 million specimens.  During his tenure at CompuChem, it attained the distinction as the largest commercial toxicology laboratory in the world.

Dr. Kearney has held faculty appointments at Duke University in Pharmacology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Toxicology (commissioned officer), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research as Deputy Director of the Division of Surgery and Chief of the Laboratory for Space Biosciences and at Southwest Missouri State University at the Center for Science and Research.

He was a special consultant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and served as technical advisor to the Olympic Organizing Committee for the Games held in Seoul, Korea.

For additional information on United States Antigens Corporation, contact:

George P. Kearney, Ph.D.                                      

Michael L. Ezell

President & Chief Scientific Officer                       

Chief Financial Officer

225-246-8301                                                          

225-246-8301