Millipore Provides First L-type Calcium Channel for Drug Testing

Billerica, Massachusetts --- April 16, 2007 --- Millipore Corporation today announced the addition of the human L-type calcium channel to its CardiacProfiler™ Service for compound liability testing. Millipore is the first to offer this voltage-gated channel involved in normal myocardial and vascular smooth muscle contractility.

A link between hERG channel block, QT prolongation and the ventricular tachyarrhythmia Torsades de Pointes (TdP) has been established, revealing the need to assess the cardiac risk of potential drugs. Recombinant cell lines that express multiple subunit ion channels are an integral part of testing novel compounds, yet developing these cell lines is complicated. Millipore has simplified the process by adding the PrecisION™ hCav1.2 recombinant cell line to its CardiacProfiler Service. This cell line stably expresses three subunits and has been developed and validated to meet biophysical and pharmacological properties of the L-type calcium channel found in the human heart.

For the L-type calcium channel, the precise timing of opening, inactivation and closing the channel mirrors the coordinated beating of the heart. Non-cardiovascular drugs should avoid an L-type blocking action at clinically relevant concentrations because such activity may cause cardiac side-effects. In some cardiovascular drugs with significant hERG block, L-type calcium channel blocking may be beneficial because the mixed-channel block action may not prolong the QT interval, thereby making it a safe drug.

Millipore’s CardiacProfiler Service offers compound profiling against the L-type calcium channel assessed either as a stand alone service or as part of a panel of other cardiac ion channels, including hERG, Nav1.5, KCNQ1/minK, Kv1.5, Kv4.3/KChIP1 and HCN4. Millipore offers this critical target in the CardiacProfiler Service through a license with Merck & Co., Inc.

Millipore’s Bioscience Division provides innovative tools, services and biological reagents that drive advancements in biomedical and academic research as well as support the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals. The product portfolio has been further enhanced with the 2006 addition of Chemicon^®, Upstate^® and Linco^® product lines, allowing Millipore to provide the most complete offering of life science tools on the market. Our customers work in leading research laboratories across a variety of industries throughout the world. Millipore improves their laboratory productivity and efficiency through optimized workflows. For more information, please contact Millipore Tech Service at 1-800-548-7853 or 951-676-8080 or visit www.millipore.com.

About Millipore

Millipore is a leading provider of products and services that improve productivity in laboratory research and bioprocessing manufacturing sites. Through its broad product portfolio, the Company drives growth through innovation and delivers higher value-added applications to the marketplace. Millipore experts have a comprehensive understanding of customers’ research, which results in superior tools, technologies and services. The Company is part of the S&P 500 index and employs approximately 5,800 employees in more than 47 offices worldwide. For additional information on Millipore Corporation, please visit www.millipore.com.

Millipore, Chemicon, Upstate, and Linco are registered trademarks and CardiacProfiler and PrecisionION are trademarks of Millipore Corporation.

MILLIPORE NEWS
For immediate release
Media Contact:
Karen Gobler Communications Manager
Millipore Corporation
978-762-5294
karen_gobler@millipore.com

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