Sigma-Aldrich Signs License Agreement With Polyplus-transfection to Offer Novel ZNA(TM) Oligonucleotides

Sigma-Aldrich Signs License Agreement With Polyplus-transfection to Offer
Novel ZNA(TM) Oligonucleotides
Commercialization of ZNA technology provides solutions for increased affinity
for nucleic acids

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL) today
announced a worldwide licensing agreement with Polyplus-transfection
(Strasbourg, France) to manufacture and commercialize Zip Nucleic Acid
(ZNA(TM)*) oligonucleotides, a new technology that provides solutions for
increased affinity for nucleic acids. Under the terms of the license,
Sigma-Aldrich has rights to manufacture and commercialize ZNA oligonucleotides
for all research applications. Sigma-Aldrich is the first company to offer ZNA
as custom DNA and RNA oligonucleotides to the life science community.

ZNA are oligonucleotides with attached cationic units. They offer significant
value for a variety of applications in research and diagnostics applications.
Research applications include PCR probes, PCR primers, in-vitro micro RNA
detection and inhibition and siRNA. The addition of cationic residues to
oligonucleotides increases their sensitivity and their ability to detect
mutations, while remaining both easy to design and cost effective. ZNA also
offers an increased affinity for nucleic acids without losing selectivity,
improving performance in hybridization techniques.

"Sigma-Aldrich offers the largest portfolio of modifications and labels for
oligonucleotides. We consider ZNA an important addition to our portfolio. The
increased performances seen for ZNA oligonucleotides offers advantages for our
customers, and we look forward to making this technology available to our
global customer base," commented Theresa S. Creasey, Ph.D., Vice President of
Sigma® Custom Products, Sigma-Aldrich.

Frederic Perraud, CEO of Polyplus-transfection, added: "We are very proud to
collaborate with a leading life science company such as Sigma-Aldrich. This
major agreement gives access to our ZNA technology to scientists worldwide and
allows Polyplus to capitalize on its nucleic acid delivery research toward
innovative applications in molecular biology."

Sigma-Aldrich offers a comprehensive collection of customized oligonucleotide
services, including DNA oligos, DNA probes, RNA, siRNA oligos and peptide
synthesis. For more information on ZNA from Sigma-Aldrich, visit
http://www.sigma.com/znaoligos.

*About ZNA(TM)
ZNA(TM) (Zip Nucleic Acids) are oligocation-oligonucleotide conjugates that
have an increased affinity for their complementary sequence without losing
selectivity. This affinity increase is due to the cationic moieties, which
reduce the charge repulsion between the two strands of nucleic acid. Thanks to
the non-directive nature of electrostatic interactions, this affinity gain is
independent of the base sequence and hence predictable, thus making the design
of ZNA extremely easy. ZNA are made with a standard oligonucleotide
synthesizer allowing fast, cost effective production as well as the ability to
add other modifications such as fluorescent markers.

About Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its
biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and
genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of
disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology
manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich has customers in Life Science companies,
university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one
million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates
in 38 countries and has 7,800 employees providing excellent service worldwide.
Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Innovation
and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service.

About Polyplus-transfection
Polyplus-transfection is a research-focused company developing and marketing
innovative solutions for transfection and therapies based on nucleic acid
delivery. Based in Strasbourg, France, the company has been selling its
transfection reagents since 2001. The multidisciplinary Polyplus R&D team
includes chemists, molecular and cellular biologists. Polyplus-transfection
has extended its field of expertise to molecular biology reagents with the
development of ZNA(TM) oligonucleotides. The company has numerous patents
pending and licenses in the fields of nucleic acid delivery and modified
oligonucleotides.

Cautionary Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future strategic
actions and initiatives and similar intentions and beliefs and other
statements regarding the Companies' expectations, beliefs, intentions and the
like, which involve assumptions regarding the Companies' operations and
conditions in the markets the Companies serve. The Companies do not undertake
any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Sigma-Aldrich and Sigma are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and
Sigma-Aldrich Co.

ZNA is a trademark of Polyplus-transfection.

SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich

Sarah Bruno of Sigma-Aldrich, +1-314-286-7810, sarah.bruno@sial.com; or
Anne-Lise Monjanel of Polyplus-transfection, +33 (0) 390-406-180,
almonjanel@polyplus-transfection.com; or media inquiries, Richard Kerns, + 44
(0)161-728-5880, richard@impress-pr.com, or Mark Button, +1-503-616-3817,
mark@impress-pr.com, both of Impress Public Relations