TORONTO- Microbix Biosystems Inc., a biotechnology company focused on virology and biologicaltechnologies, and Therapure Biopharma Inc., an integrated biopharmaceuticalcompany that develops, manufactures, purifies and packages therapeuticproteins, announced today the signing of a partnership agreement tomanufacture and market water-based products to the pharmaceutical,biotechnology and other industries. The partnership will significantly expand the portfolio of productsMicrobix will offer its customers and increase capacity by leveragingTherapure’s state-of-the-art, commercial scale manufacturing facility. Underterms of the agreement, Microbix will maintain the sales and marketingfunctions for the water-based program, while Therapure will managemanufacturing and product development operations. The products will remainunder the Microbix brand. Further financial details of the transaction werenot made public. Microbix, whose water-based product sales have nearly doubled each yearsince 2006, will benefit from the agreement due to Therapure’s largemanufacturing capacity, its R&D expertise as well as its testing, filling,packaging and shipping services. Therapure will gain by tapping into Microbix’established market position as a leading water-based products supplier to theNorth American pharmaceutical industry. Microbix CEO William J. Gastle said “Therapure’s capabilities will enableMicrobix to expand our product line and market share of the growingwater-based business in North America. Our partnership will enable us toprovide a complete portfolio of water-based products which will drive saleshigher while increasing customer satisfaction.” “Water-based products are an important part of Microbix’ core business,which has been growing by more than 20% annually for the past six years,” Mr.Gastle added. Thomas Wellner, President and CEO of Therapure said “Therapure Biopharmais excited to partner with another Canadian-based biotechnology company. Thisopportunity enables Therapure to leverage our large water and buffermanufacturing capacity and our Health Canada licensed aseptic fillingcapabilities.” The immediate result of the Microbix-Therapure agreement will be thelaunch of Microbix 22(TM), a new 22% alcohol and water-for-injection (WFI)pre-mixed used for chromatography column storage. Mixing concentrated alcoholwith water can be dangerous and many customers would rather purchase theproduct premixed and avoid the risks. Additionally, the partnership will beable to manufacture custom buffers and media to recipes provided by customers.