ACD/Labs, Inc., Signs Reseller Agreement with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX

ACD/Labs, Inc., Signs Reseller Agreement with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX

Toronto, Canada (March 28, 2006)—ACD/Labs today announced that it has entered into a reseller’s agreement with Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, together with its joint venture partner MDS SCIEX, a division of MDS, Inc. (NYSE:MDZ, TSX:MDS).  This agreement allows Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX to sell ACD/Labs’ MS Manager, MS Fragmenter, and ChemSketch Software in combination with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX mass spectrometry products worldwide.  Under the agreement, ACD/Labs retains responsibility for customer training and technical support of ACD/Labs software.

Antony Williams, VP and Chief Science Officer for ACD/Labs, comments, “ACD/Labs has had a long-term relationship with Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX supporting the various mass spectrometry file formats developed by MDS SCIEX over the past five years.  Researchers worldwide have benefited from the synergies of our respective products and have encouraged a deeper relationship between our organizations.  The reseller agreement is a natural extension to our interactions and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

“By offering our customers easy access to both Applied Biosystems/MDS Sciex and ACD/Labs technology, we are able to provide a leading edge, end-to-end solution for LC/MS/MS-based structural identification.  We look forward to continuing the excellent relationship with ACD/Labs and to further enhancing the links between our respective products,” adds Byron Kieser, Director of Small Molecule System Solutions at Applied Biosystems.

Further information about ACD/Labs’ software solutions can be found at www.acdlabs.com/products/

Further information about Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX mass spectrometry products and solutions may be found at www.appliedbiosystems.com.

About Advanced Chemistry Development

Advanced Chemistry Development, Inc., (ACD/Labs) is a chemistry software company offering solutions that truly integrate chemical structures with analytical chemistry information to produce ChemAnalytics^®.  ACD/Labs creates innovative software packages that aid chemical research scientists worldwide with spectroscopic validation of structures, elucidation of unknown substances, chromatographic separation, medicinal chemistry, preformulation of novel drug agents, systematic nomenclature generation, and chemical patenting and publication.  Combined, ACD/Labs' solutions create an analytical informatics system that provides dramatic feed-forward effects on the chemical and pharmaceutical research process.  Founded in 1993, and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, ACD/Labs employs a team of over 100 dedicated individuals whose continual efforts carry ACD/Labs' innovative technologies into pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, and materials companies throughout the world.  Information about Advanced Chemistry Development and its products can be found at www.acdlabs.com.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

 Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups.  The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services.  Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems’ products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as “applied markets,” such as the fields of human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment.  Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of nearly $1.8 billion during the fiscal year of 2005.  The Celera Genomics Group is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of diagnostic products as well as leveraging its proteomic, bioinformatic, and genomic capabilities to identify and validate drug targets, and is also seeking to advance therapeutic antibody and selected small molecule drug programs in collaboration with global technology and market leaders.  Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 1.800.762.6923.  Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com.

About MDS SCIEX and MDS Inc.

MDS SCIEX is the analytical instrumentation and technology solutions division of MDS, Inc.  MDS, Inc., (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease.  We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments.  MDS has more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries.  Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.

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