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N.V. Organon

Organon and Philips Team up to Study Drug Effects at the Molecular Level

Oss and Eindhoven, The Netherlands (ots/PRNewswire)

N.V.
Organon, the human health care business unit of Akzo Nobel, and Royal
Philips Electronics announced today that they will join forces in the
development of new drugs and therapies for mental disorders and
cancer. With the help of biomarkers (specific molecules or cells
which can be measured as an indicator of biological function) and
Philips' advanced non-invasive medical imaging technology, it will
for example be possible to study the effects of psychiatric drugs in
the brain at the molecular level.
Molecular imaging technologies are expected to speed up the
development and approval of new drugs and therapies by measuring drug
effects at the molecular level. In addition, these imaging
technologies can be used to monitor the effect of the therapy and
customize the treatment program accordingly. Such customized
treatment programs could increase effectiveness and comfort, and
ultimately accelerate and improve patient outcomes.
"Organon has invested heavily in optimizing its R&D efforts,"
explained David Nicholson, Executive Vice President Research and
Development of Organon. "We are convinced that biomarker research
will accelerate the R&D process and improve the success rate of
developing new molecular and biological therapies. In particular, our
drug development programs for the treatment of psychiatric and immune
disorders are expected to benefit from this collaborative research
effort with Philips."
"Our medical imaging modalities are rapidly improving and have
evolved into extremely powerful tools to image the function and
behavior of an anatomical feature, and not just its shape," said Rick
Harwig, CTO of Philips. "The combined technological expertise of
Philips and the life sciences know-how of Organon will definitely
speed up the evolution of our imaging modalities into tools to image
the body at the molecular level. In addition, they will enable new
opportunities in molecular diagnostics."
As part of the agreement, scientists from Organon will work at the
Philips Life Sciences Facilities to identify, validate, and above
all, exploit novel biomarkers. The Life Sciences Facilities, situated
at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, is a multi-disciplinary
research facility, which provides the necessary biological, chemical
and technical infrastructure and expertise for research and
development in the field of translational biomarkers and molecular
medicine.
About Organon
Organon creates, manufactures and markets innovative prescription
medicines that improve the health and quality of human life. Through
a combination of innovation and business partnerships, Organon seeks
to leverage its position as a leading biopharmaceutical company in
each of its core therapeutic fields: fertility, gynecology and
selected areas of anesthesia. It has extensive expertise in
neuroscience and a rich and focused R&D program. Research areas also
include immunology and specific areas of oncology. Organon products
are distributed in over 100 countries worldwide, of which more than
50 have an Organon subsidiary. Organon is the human healthcare
business unit of Akzo Nobel.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI)
is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology,
delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise
of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips
employs approximately 124,300 employees in more than 60 countries
worldwide. With sales of EUR 27.0 billion in 2006, the company is a
market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring
systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home
appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is
located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
www.organon.com
Safe Harbor Statement Organon(x)
This press release may contain statements which address such key
issues as Akzo Nobel's growth strategy, future financial results,
market positions, product development, pharmaceutical products in the
pipeline, and product approvals. Such statements should be carefully
considered, and it should be understood that many factors could cause
forecasted and actual results to differ from these statements. These
factors include, but are not limited to, price fluctuations, currency
fluctuations, progress of drug development, clinical testing and
regulatory approval, developments in raw material and personnel
costs, pensions, physical and environmental risks, legal issues, and
legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. Stated
competitive positions are based on management estimates supported by
information provided by specialized external agencies. For a more
comprehensive discussion of the risk factors affecting our business
please see our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission, a copy of which can be
found on the company's corporate website www.akzonobel.com. The 2006
Annual Report on Form 20-F will be available in the second quarter of
2007.
(x) Pursuant to the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
1995.

Contact:

For more information: Organon, Elina Daamen, Media Relations, Tel:
+31-(0)412-663685, E-mail: elina.daamen@organon.com; Philips, Steve
Klink, Philips Research/ Public Relations Department, Tel:
+31-40-27-43703, Mob: +31-6-10888824, E-mail: steve.klink@philips.com