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Serologicals Corporation Announces Completion of
Upstate Group Acquisition
ATLANTA, GA
October 14, 2004
Serologicals Corporation ("the Company") (NASDAQ: SERO)
announced today that it has completed its previously announced acquisition
of Upstate Group, Inc., acquiring the previously privately held company
for total consideration of $205 million, consisting of $102.5 million
of cash and approximately 4.3 million shares of Serologicals Common
Stock.
"The completion of the Upstate acquisition represents another
significant step in positioning Serologicals as a major partner to
our customers performing drug research, discovery and development,"
said David A. Dodd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Serologicals.
"As a result of this acquisition, we’ve increased our critical
mass within the research reagent marketplace, and positioned ourselves
as a leader in drug screening and validation services to the leading
pharmaceutical and biotech companies."
Serologicals also announced today the election of Aaron J. Shatkin,
Ph.D, to the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Shatkin, who
is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences, is one of the world’s preeminent biotechnologists.
He currently serves as the Director for the Center for Advanced Biotechnology
and Medicine, as well as a Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
at the Robert W. Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey.
He also serves as a Professor of Molecular Biology at Rutgers University.
Dr. Shatkin began his professional career with the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) in 1961, and his teaching career at the Georgetown
University Medical School in 1968.
"Serologicals Corporation is proud that Dr. Shatkin has agreed
to join our Board of Directors," said Desmond H. O’Connell,
Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors for Serologicals. "His
worldwide expertise in the field of molecular genetics and microbiology,
as well as his renown as one of the world’s leading authorities
on biotechnology will prove beneficial to Serologicals as we continue
to implement our ongoing growth strategy."
Dr. Shatkin is a member of numerous biomedical societies, including
the American Society for Microbiology, American Society for Virology,
American Society for Cell Biology, and the American Society for Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology. He has been a member of the Upstate Group Board
of Directors since the inception of the Company, and has over 200
scientific publications, with an emphasis on Virology and Molecular
and Cellular Biology. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry
as well as an honorary Doctorate of Science from Bowdoin College,
and received his Ph.D from The Rockefeller University.
About Serologicals
Serologicals Corporation, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a
global provider of biological products, enabling technologies and
custom services to life science companies. The Company’s diverse
customer base includes major life science companies and leading research
institutions. Our customers use our products, technologies and services
in all facets of their activities, including basic research, drug
discovery, diagnosis and bio-manufacturing. Our products, technologies
and services are essential tools for research in a range of key disciplines,
including oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiology, neurology,
proteomics, infectious diseases, cell signaling and stem cell research.
In addition, the Company is the world’s leading manufacturer
of monoclonal antibodies for the blood typing industry. Serologicals
has more than 950 employees worldwide, and its shares are traded on
the NASDAQ national stock market under the symbol SERO.
This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words
or phrases such as "should result," "are expected to,"
"we anticipate," "we estimate," "we project"
or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed
in any forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include the ability of Serologicals
to close the acquisition of Upstate or the related financing, the
ability of Serologicals to retain the personnel of Upstate following
the closing and the continued growth of the drug discovery market.
You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements,
since the statements speak only as of the date that they are made,
and Serologicals undertakes no obligation to update these statements
based on events that may occur after the date of this press release.
Serologicals is a registered trademark of Serologicals Royalty Company.
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