ProMetic Life Sciences Inc.: Results of PRDT's Brain Spike Study Published in Transfusion

Market Wire, July, 2006

Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies Inc. ("PRDT"), and its co-development, commercial and manufacturing partner MacoPharma SA ("MacoPharma") announced that Transfusion, the American Association of Blood Banks' monthly peer-reviewed journal and a leading scientific publication in the field of blood transfusion medicine, published in its July issue the results of an extensive study sponsored by PRDT. PRDT is a joint venture between ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: PLI) and the American Red Cross.

The overall goal of this study was to test selected ligands immobilized on a matrix (resin) specifically to remove Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy ("TSE") infectivity from red blood cell concentrate ("RBC"). TSEs are fatal brain diseases that include BSE, or "mad cow disease", in cattle, variant-Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ("vCJD") in humans, and "scrapie" in sheep. Transmission of TSE infections through blood transfusion from asymptomatic blood donors has been demonstrated in animals and three suspected cases of transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion from blood donors incubating vCJD have recently been reported in humans. Moreover, transmission by the transfusion route appears to be quite efficient. Currently, human blood-borne TSE infectivity cannot be detected with a diagnostic test, nor is it likely to be inactivated using current pathogen inactivation methods.

The PRDT TSE affinity resins were challenged with brain homogenate from TSE infected hamsters that had been added to human leucoreduced RBC. The results comparing infectivity in the treated and untreated RBC showed that four PRDT resins were able to reduce infectivity by over 3 log10. The resins were challenged with almost 2,000,000-fold greater TSE infectivity than that estimated to be present in a unit of TSE-infected RBC, thus demonstrating vast excess adsorbing capacity. The negative control resins did not remove infectivity, thereby confirming that the ligands on PRDT's affinity resins specifically captured TSE infectivity.

A critical follow-up experiment was completed earlier this year using the resin that showed the best binding properties to the prion protein associated with TSE infectivity. This second study demonstrated that endogenous blood-borne infectivity is also reduced to the limit of detection of the bioassay by PRDT's technology.

The P-CAPT(TM) filter, which incorporates the prion-binding affinity resin is currently being scaled-up for commercial production in MacoPharma's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lille, France. The prion-binding affinity resin will be supplied to MacoPharma by ProMetic Biosciences Ltd, a subsidiary of ProMetic. MacoPharma expects that the product will receive CE mark approval and be launched in 2006.

About PRDT

PRDT is a joint-venture company set up in April 2002 by The American Red Cross and ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. PRDT allows for a reciprocal exchange of technology and knowledge developed between the American Red Cross and ProMetic. PRDT's main goal is to develop products and devices to remove and detect different pathogens from biological sources. This research augments work that ProMetic, the American Red Cross and PRDT's scientific founders have been conducting independently for many years.

About MacoPharma

MacoPharma is an innovator in global healthcare with expertise in the fields of transfusion and infusion. The Company has become the largest supplier of in-line leucoreduction filtration sets in Europe and is expanding its efforts into the biotherapy field by developing products for cell expansion in addition to cell/organ processing and freezing. Headquartered in the Lille metropolitan area (France), MacoPharma has three manufacturing facilities in Europe and its products are now sold into more than 55 countries worldwide. One of MacoPharma's aims is to provide a comprehensive range for the reduction of infectious agents in plasma, platelets and red cells. This is consistent with the MacoPharma product development strategy of a continuous quest, through partnerships, for improved safety, efficacy, and quality of transfusion, infusion and biotherapy. For more information please contact: www.macopharma.com .

About ProMetic Life Sciences

ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of a variety of commercial applications derived from its proprietary Mimetic Ligand(TM) enabling technology. This technology is used in large-scale purification of biologics and the elimination of pathogens. ProMetic is also active in therapeutic drug development with the mission to bring to market effective, innovative, lower cost, less toxic products for the treatment of inflammation and cancer. Its drug discovery platform is focused on replacing complex, expensive proteins with synthetic "drug-like" protein mimetics. Headquartered in Montreal (Canada), ProMetic has R&D and manufacturing facilities in the UK and business development activities in the US, Europe, Asia and MENA countries (Middle East and North Africa).