Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Ltd. (SNBL), Japan's largest CRO, and Tranzyme Pharma, a privately held drug discovery and development company have announced that they have entered a joint research collaboration to develop non-human primate models of human diseases for medical research and drug discovery.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Tranzyme will provide SNBL access to its functional biology and gene delivery technology. SNBL will apply the technology to ex vivo and in vivo applications using cells and tissues from non-human primates. SNBL will provide research support for the collaboration and will have an option to license Tranzyme's technology for commercial purposes. Additional financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.

SNBL has an established expertise in primate research for preclinical and clinical evaluation of new pharmaceuticals. SNBL was established in 1957 and has an international presence with state-of-the-art facilities in Japan, U.S., Europe and China. In June 2003, SNBL made a strategic equity investment in Tranzyme. SNBL recently completed an IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Mothers Market) in March 2004.

Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL) Group was founded in 1957 and is recognized as the first and foremost Contract Research Organization (CRO) in Japan with both preclinical and clinical capabilities. Based on a preclinical foundation, the Group now offers full-service worldwide drug development capabilities, providing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with the highest quality research services available at every stage of the drug development process, from early phase discovery through to post marketing stage.