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OncoMethylome Sciences to Launch IPO on June 12, 2006

Listing Planned on Eurolist by Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam

LIEGE (BELGIUM) - June 9, 2006 - OncoMethylome Sciences, a molecular diagnostics company with activities in Belgium, The Netherlands, and the USA, announces today the details of its planned Initial Public Offering (IPO). The offering consists of new shares for up to of €35 million, with the price range set at €7.50 to €10.00 per share. The prospectus will be made available as of Saturday, June 10, 2006, and the offering period will begin on Monday, June 12, 2006. Fortis and ING have been appointed as joint bookrunners and joint lead managers, and Kempen & Co as co-manager.

The Offering

The offering consists of new shares for a maximum amount of €35 million, which may be increased by 15% for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any. No minimum number of shares in the offering has been set. The price range has been set at €7.50 to €10.00 per share.

The shares will be offered to retail investors in Belgium and The Netherlands, as well as to institutional investors in Europe. A tranche consisting of up to 20% of the offered shares will be reserved for retail investors, subject to claw back, which will not reduce this tranche below 10% to the extent that retail investors subscribe to at least 10%.

Offering Period and Pricing

The offering period will commence on June 12, 2006, and is foreseen to close on June 23, 2006 at 16.00 CET. The company reserves the right to shorten or extend the offering period. At minimum, the offering period will remain open for five banking days.

The final offering price is expected to be published in the financial press in Belgium and the Netherlands on June 27, 2006 and will apply to all investors.

Listing

The shares are expected to be listed on Eurolist by Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam under the symbol ONCO (ONCOB in Brussels and ONCOA in Amsterdam). The listing is expected to commence on Tuesday, June 27 2006 on an “if and when issued” basis.

Prospectus

The prospectus includes detailed information on OncoMethylome Sciences and the offering. Any decision to purchase shares in OncoMethylome Sciences should be made solely on the basis of the prospectus. The prospectus will be made available to investors at no cost as of June 10, 2006 by request at the counters of Fortis, ING, and Kempen & Co, and can be also be obtained via a telephonic request at Fortis (+31.20.527. 24.67 for The Netherlands, and +32 800.90.301 for Belgium), or at ING (+32.2.464.60.01 for the Dutch version, +32.2.464. 60.02 for the French version, or +32.2.464. 60.04 for the English version). The prospectus will also be made available to investors at the registered office of the company, Tour 5 GIGA, Avenue de l’Hôpital 11, 4000 Liège, Belgium, as well as on the company website at www.oncomethylome.com. 

OncoMethylome Sciences Activities

OncoMethylome Sciences develops patent-protected molecular tests to assist physicians in effectively detecting and treating cancer. Specifically, the company’s tests are designed to help the physician accurately detect cancer in early stages of cancer development, predict a patient’s response to drug therapy, and predict the likelihood of cancer recurrence.

OncoMethylome Sciences’ tests work by identifying DNA gene methylation patterns, which are correlated with the development of cancer. The clinical potential of the methylation technology on which the company’s tests are based has been demonstrated and published by multiple leading oncology centers, including the Johns Hopkins University (USA) which invented the underlying technology. OncoMethylome Sciences believes that its patent-protected diagnostics and personalized treatment solutions address an important and growing medical need in the oncology healthcare sector.

OncoMethylome Sciences boasts a broad product development pipeline consisting of nine products, and a solid partnering track record. The company’s first product, a test for early detection of prostate cancer, is in the final stages of product development, and has been partnered for commercialization with Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company. In addition, OncoMethylome Sciences entered into a partnership with Schering-Plough for predicting brain tumor response to the Schering-Plough drug temozolomide (Temodal®). Additional products in the company’s pipeline include diagnostic tests for early detection of colorectal, bladder, lung, breast and cervical cancers, as well as products for personalized treatment, such as other tests to predict tumor response to cancer drug therapies. At present, OncoMethylome Sciences’ products are not yet commercially available.

Established in January 2003, OncoMethylome Sciences is headquartered in Liège (Belgium), where its development laboratory is located. The company’s personalized treatment and gene marker discovery services are carried out in its Leuven (Belgium) facilities, while the development team based in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) works closely with several leading Dutch cancer research institutes, such as the Amsterdam Free University Medical Center, the GROW institute at the University Hospital of Maastricht, and the University Hospital in Groningen. The Durham (NC, USA) office houses the Company’s business and clinical development personnel.

Use of Proceeds

The principal purposes of the offering are to support the company’s growth, to increase the company’s capitalization and financial flexibility, and to facilitate access to public equity capital markets.

OncoMethylome Sciences intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to further increase its existing research and development resources so as to accelerate and expand its product development pipeline, carry more products through the regulatory approval process, expand its intellectual property portfolio, carry out acquisitions if and when they present themselves, as well as for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

For further information, please contact:

Lucija Turcinov
Tel. +32-479-801-902
Lucija.Turcinov@oncomethylome.com

This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America nor does it constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and there shall not be any sale of the securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to its registration or qualification under the laws of such jurisdiction. Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken into the United States of America or distributed or published, directly or indirectly, in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of US securities law. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"); and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the benefit of US persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S pursuant to the Securities Act) unless they are registered pursuant to the Securities Act or pursuant to an available exemption therefrom. No public offering of securities of OncoMethylome Science is being made in the United States of America.