CALGARY, Canada, December 13 /PRNewswire/ -- SemBioSys Genetics Inc. (TSX:SBS), a biotechnology company developing a portfolio of therapeutic proteins for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, today announced that Oye Olukotun, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA, has agreed to join the Board of Directors of the Company. Dr. Olukotun is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of VIA Pharmacueticals (NASDAQ: VIAP) a company focused on cardiovascular disease treatments. He will replace Dr. Douglass Given, who is retiring from the Board of SemBioSys after serving for seven years.

Dr. Olukotun is a Board Certified Cardiologist with more than twenty-five years of experience in clinical research and drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. He formerly served as Chief Medical Officer at Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., a company that was developing Apo AIMilano as a cardiovascular therapy, until its acquisition by Pfizer in 2004. SemBioSys has recently demonstrated commercial levels of native Apo AI and Apo AIMilano production in safflower and is currently preparing to conduct animal studies to establish the functional equivalence of plant-produced Apo AI and Apo AIMilano to serum derived HDL.

"The recruitment of Dr. Olukotun to the Board demonstrates our commitment and belief in the potential of safflower-produced Apo AI and Apo AIMilano to address the cost, capacity and process challenges of manufacturing Apo AI with traditional fermentation-based production systems," said Richard Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SemBioSys. "Dr. Olukotun's extensive experience and expertise in the development of cardiovascular therapies, including his time with Esperion, is a great skill set to bring to the Company. Based on his knowledge of the Apo AI landscape, it is a great compliment to our team and technology that he has chosen to join SemBioSys. At the same time, on behalf of the company, I would like to thank Douglass for his consummate professionalism, advice and service to SemBioSys over the past seven years."

Dr. Olukotun has published more than forty articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He received his MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and obtained a MPH degree from Harvard University School of Public Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology as well as the American Heart Association. Dr. Olukotun was employed for fourteen years at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, where he served as Vice President of two divisions focused on cardiovascular research, and was involved in the clinical development of several cardiovascular and lipid-regulating agents.

Internet: http://www.sembiosys.com

About Apo AI

Apo AI is a developmental-stage cardiovascular therapy, designed to rapidly stabilize and diminish atherosclerotic plaque for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Apo AI is the major apolipoprotein associated with HDL, commonly referred to as "good cholesterol", which naturally removes plaque from arteries. Apo AIMilano is a natural variant of native human Apo AI characterized by a single amino acid substitution in its primary structure. Epidemiological data suggests Apo AIMilano confers enhanced resistance to atherosclerosis and may offer clinical potential in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

In a six week clinical trial, Esperion Therapeutics (acquired by Pfizer in 2004) demonstrated that its Apo AIMilano variant / phospholipid formulation could reduce plaque volume at a level and speed of atherosclerotic regression unattainable with any current drug therapy. Similarly, both CSL Limited and Borean Pharma A/S have more recently confirmed the strong therapeutic potential of their respective Apo AI-based drug candidates (CSL-111 and Trimeric Apo A-I) in clinical and preclinical trials.

High dosing (up to 20 grams per course of treatment) coupled with a large patient population is expected to drive volume demand of several tonnes of Apo AI per year, underscoring the value of a highly scalable plant manufacturing solution.

About SemBioSys Genetics Inc. (http://www.sembiosys.com)

Calgary, Alberta-based SemBioSys Genetics Inc. is a biotechnology company developing protein-based pharmaceuticals for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The Company's lead pharmaceutical candidates, produced in the plant host safflower, are recombinant human insulin to serve the rapidly expanding global diabetes market and Apo AI, a next generation cardiovascular drug. In addition to its pharmaceutical products, SemBioSys is developing a series of non-pharmaceutical products addressing human topical, nutritional oils and animal health markets.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's ongoing filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which filings can be found at http://www.sedar.com. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable Canadian securities laws.

For further information: SemBioSys Genetics Inc., Mr. Andrew Baum, President and Chief Executive Officer, Phone: +1-403-717-8767, Fax: +1-403-250-3886, E-mail: bauma@sembiosys.com; Investor Relations, Ross Marshall, The Equicom Group Inc., Phone: +1-416-815-0700 (Ext. 238), Fax: +1-416-815-0080, E-mail: rmarshall@equicomgroup.com (SBS.)