Takara Bio Inc. (President: Ikunoshin Kato, Ph.D.) has signed an agreement to begin distributing its DNA amplification instrument for PCR "TaKaRa PCR Thermal Cycler Dice" ("Dice") in North America through Fisher Scientific, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of supplies and instruments for scientific research. Dice is a high-performance, low-cost, compact, and space-saving instrument equipped with gradient function.

Takara Bio Inc. introduced and distributed its DNA amplification instrument for PCR for the first time in Japan in 1988, and has maintained the largest share in the Japanese domestic market for enzymes and kits for PCR. Although there are several competing manufacturers, Takara Bio aims to increase its market share in Japan through the introduction of Dice last February.

Fisher Scientific International offers nearly 600,000 products in 145 countries with annual sales in 2003 of approximately $3.6 billion. In particular, the company is a leading provider of reasearch reagents and instruments in the United States. The company has been distributing Takara Bio's research reagents, mainly for genetic engineering, in North America since January 1999. Takara Bio expects the addition of its research instrument Dice to Fisher's product line to increase Takara Bio's sales in the North American market.

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Profile of Fisher Scientific
Company name: Fisher Scientific International Inc.
CEO: Paul M. Montrone
Established: 1902
Employees: 11,050 (as of March 2004)
Summary of business: Manufacturer and distributor of products and services used in general scientific research, life-science research and clinical-lab testing.

About Takara Bio Inc.
Takara Bio Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company based in Shiga, Japan. As a world leader in biotechnology research and development, Takara Bio was the first company to market PCR technology in Japan and is also the developer of the RetroNectin^® reagent, which is a world-standard in gene therapy protocols. In addition to providing research reagents and equipment to the life science research market, Takara Bio has active research and product development activities in the fields of gene and cell-based therapy, and agricultural biotechnology; and is committed preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology. Through strategic alliances with other industry leaders, the Company aims to extend its reach around the world. More information is available at http://www.takara-bio.com.

For more information:
Corporate Communications
Takara Bio Inc.
E-mail: bio-ir@takara-bio.co.jp

This article is translated from press release in Japanese for your convenience.

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