Plans to leverage Fab 3 to meet future demand for SOI wafers and other engineered substrates

August 28, 2006 — /PRNewswire/ — BERNIN, France — Soitec (Euronext Paris), the world’s leading manufacturer of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and other engineered substrates, today broke ground on its new 300 mm wafer fab in Singapore. The groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction at the company’s newest state-of-the-art production facility. Designated Fab 3, the facility is expected to start supplying the Group’s global customer base with SOI wafers in mid-2008, as it ramps to a final production capacity of one million wafers per year.

Fab 3 is Soitec’s first fab in Asia, and is a critical part of the Group’s strategic investment plan to expand its worldwide production capacity, enhance its ongoing R&D efforts, and forge closer relationships with its customers worldwide. Attending today’s ceremony in Singapore’s new Pasir Wafer Fab Park were notable dignitaries, including Soitec’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Andre-Jacques Auberton-Herve, and Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. S. Iswaran.

“The construction of this, our newest and most advanced fab, represents the success of our business strategy to drive adoption of SOI and build the production capacity necessary to satisfy growing industry demand,” noted Auberton-Herve. “The performance and power-usage benefits associated with SOI are enabling a growing number of advanced electronic devices, especially leading-edge consumer digital products that are increasingly manufactured in Asia. With its strategic location in the heart of Asia, this new fab will help us develop even closer working relationships with our growing customer base in the region while also giving us access to the world-class business environment and talented workforce we were seeking in selecting the location of our third production facility.”

Construction of Fab 3 will take advantage of the newest in manufacturing technologies, as well as Soitec’s extensive engineered substrate production knowledge, gained from years of manufacturing experience. Fab 3 will utilize complete mini-environments in order to reduce wafer contamination risk and increase yields. The total investment in Fab 3 is expected to be approximately 350 million Euros; and when completed, it is anticipated that approximately 500 people will work inside this state-of-the-art facility.

Soitec is aggressively expanding its worldwide production capacity through ongoing fab construction and expansion efforts. Soitec’s Fab 3 is being built on 2.7 hectares with more than 4,000 square meters of clean room space, while additional land is available for future expansion. The Group is also currently expanding the production capacity of its Bernin II Fab in France. Ongoing capacity expansion efforts will open the door to a greater number of integrated device manufacturers, foundries and fabless companies planning to tap the powerful benefits of SOI. Today, approximately 95 percent of all SOI wafers acquired for production are built using Soitec’s patented Smart Cut(TM) process, which is now considered the de facto industry standard due to the quality, productivity and cost effectiveness of this process. Soitec believes that the combination of its advanced technology and growing production capacity, through projects such as the construction of Fab 3, will allow it to continue to lead the world in the development, manufacture and supply of advanced engineered substrates.

About The Soitec Group:

The Soitec Group is the world’s leading innovator and provider of the engineered substrates that serve as the foundation for today’s most advanced electronic products and nanotechnologies. Headquartered in Bernin, France, the company manufactures its comprehensive portfolio of engineered substrates, including silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and strained SOI (sSOI), using Soitec’s proprietary Smart Cut(TM) technology-the de facto industry standard. With its strong global presence, patented technology and industry-leading production capacity, Soitec is helping to drive the performance and power advantages that are key to the smaller, more power efficient, and increasingly mobile electronic products favored by consumers worldwide. Both shares and convertible bonds are listed on Euronext Paris. For more information, visit the company’s Web site located at www.soitec.com

NOTE: Soitec, Smart Cut and UNIBOND are trademarks of S.O.I.TEC Silicon On Insulator Technologies

Source: Soitec

CONTACT:
Camille Darnaud-Dufour, Vice President, Communications of Soitec, Mobile (France)
Tel: +33-6-79-49-51-43
E-mail: [email protected]

Kelly Picasso, Sr. Account Associate of MCA
Tel: +1-650-968-8900, ext. 127
E-mail:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.soitec.com/

August 28, 2006 — /Evergreen Engineering/ — HILLSBORO, OR Evergreen Engineering has leased 8,133 square feet of office space at One Technology Center, 7431 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 210/220, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124. Cliff Finnell at GVA Kidder Mathews, represented the lessee. Matt Krueger and Miles von Bergen at Trammell Crow Company represented the lessor.

The larger office space has enabled Evergreen to accommodate its growing staff. It will also provide an in-house venue to conduct client-oriented training sessions and seminars.

The firm currently employs over 90 full-time workers, comprised of principals, professional engineers, construction managers, designers, drafters, and administrative personnel; 85% hold college degrees, 10% hold advanced degrees. The firm’s growth pattern continues to be steady, and anticipates its nationwide employee base to reach over 100 by the end of year 2007.

Established in 1985, Evergreen Engineering is an engineering consulting firm serving various industries such as bioscience, clean manufacturing, forest products, industrial manufacturing, light industrial, metals, microelectronics, and semiconductor. Evergreen has a reputation of listening to clients’ objectives and being able to do projects other firms consider too difficult or impossible. Evergreen has offices in Eugene, OR; Hillsboro, OR; Atlanta, GA; and Santa Clara, CA with clients throughout the United States and Canada.

Contact:
Christine Timbre
Evergreen Engineering
Phone: (503) 439-8777
Fax: (503) 439-8767
[email protected]
www.evergreenengineering.com

The use of FDA approved OZONE and EPA approved procedures of Spherequat 6400 and Spherequat 1000 disinfectants and sanitizers provides an economical and safe program for the removal of odors and sanitation of all dairy operations

August 30, 2006 — /MARKET WIRE/ — PRESCOTT, AZ — Produce Safety & Security International, Inc. (“PDSC”), an ozone and chemical sanitation disinfectant process supplier to the food and medical industries, provides an FDA and EPA approved solution for Dairy Farm Premise Disinfection for the dairy industry by using the Ozone Process and Spherequat

August 24, 2006 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — STARKVILLE, Miss. — SemiSouth Laboratories – a silicon carbide research and development company – announced today that it has completed the construction of its new silicon carbide (SiC) manufacturing facility and has completed a large portion of the installation of its manufacturing equipment. To mark this milestone, the company today held a Grand Opening celebration at the Starkville site. The event also marked the opening of II-VI, Inc.’s SiC wafer processing clean-room located inside the SemiSouth facility.

Speaking at the opening ceremonies were U.S. Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi’s Third Congressional District; U.S. Congressman Roger Wicker of Mississippi’s First Congressional District, Mississippi State University President Dr. Robert Foglesong, and Dr. Carl Johnson, CEO of II-VI, Inc. The ceremonies were lead by Dr. Jeff Casady, President and CEO of SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc.

“The completion of this facility is a major milestone for both SemiSouth and the state of Mississippi,” said Dr. Casady. “This opening marks the debut of the first major semiconductor (microchip) manufacturing facility in the state and provides a solid example of homegrown high tech economic development. This state-of-the-art facility is a proud example of how federal investment in University-based research and development, coupled with state support for high tech job growth, can lead to true high tech economic development in Mississippi. SemiSouth’s success derives from the strong support of our federal, state and local government leaders and our solid base of private investors. Today’s grand opening ceremony is an opportunity for us to pause and recognize the support of those individuals who have been instrumental in the company’s success.”

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an emerging semiconductor technology known to have very significant advantages for energy efficient high-power applications. The key electrical properties of the technology is the ability to handle electrical power up to 10X better, with higher efficiency, and at much higher temperatures than silicon based power electronic components. The true promise of SiC is its ability to make high-end power supplies more energy efficient, run cooler and be physically smaller in size. As an example, SiC power components are expected to increase the ‘fuel’ efficiency of hybrid electric vehicles and help make them more affordable for consumers.

“The energy efficient technology being produced by SemiSouth has wide ranging applications that include advancing our military war fighting capabilities and helping reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources,” said Congressman Wicker. “We are fortunate to have this cutting-edge company right here in the Golden Triangle area of Mississippi.”

Co-founded five years ago by two Mississippi State University (MSU) professors spearheading SiC research and development activities at Mississippi State University (MSU). During the past five years, SemiSouth has grown from a small operation with three fulltime employees working out of a research lab at MSU, to an up-and-coming silicon carbide based semiconductor supplier recently named one of the top 5 most promising companies at the recent Semiconductor Venture Fair and one of the top 50 emerging technology companies in the U.S. by Dow Jones / Venture Wire. Both founders currently hold executive positions with SemiSouth. Dr. Casady is President and CEO, and Dr. Mike Mazzola is Chief Technology Officer, leading SemiSouth’s continued technology development.

Congressman Pickering stated: “SemiSouth is on the leading edge of technologies that will defend us and provide critical national security capabilities and promising commercial applications. This major milestone for Mississippi-based SemiSouth underscores the great value of an industry partnership with Mississippi State University and its contribution to the economic development of our State.”

The private event was attended by more than 150 people. Tours of the new facility were given.

About SemiSouth Laboratories
An industry leader in the technological development and manufacture of silicon carbide (SiC) electrical components and materials for high-power, high-efficiency, harsh-environment power management and conversion applications, SemiSouth provides discrete power devices, simple ICs, and thin film SiC epitaxy wafers to commercial and government entities. Founded in 2000 and based in Starkville, MS, this privately-held company has a strategic alliance with Mississippi State University and its ongoing SiC research programs. SiC-based semiconductor devices offer significant advantages over competing products based on silicon, GaAs and other materials for power based electronic applications.

For more information about SiC or SemiSouth Laboratories, visit the company’s website at www.semisouth.com.

Contacts
SemiSouth Laboratories, Starkville
Media: Keith Nootbaar, 662-324-7607
[email protected]

August 24, 2006 — /C5/ — DENVER, CO — C5 Medical Werks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CoorsTek founded by President Brad Coors in October 2005, has quickly established itself among the top biotech companies in Colorado.

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) honored the new company for making a “significant difference to Colorado’s vibrant bioscience industry in 2006.” The Rising Star award was presented to C5 Medical Werks at the 2006 BioWest Conference, the foremost annual bioscience and trade exposition in the Rocky Mountain Region.

“We are very pleased to be recognized by the 200 member Colorado BioScience Association,” comments Brad Coors, who serves as president of C5 Medical Werks. “We’ve set our sights on success and intend to take a leadership role in producing the highest quality ceramic products for the medical device industry.”

C5 Medical Werks provides advanced ceramic solutions for implantable device manufacturers. The company serves customers with product lines that include ceramic hip replacement implants, ceramic spinal implants, ceramic dental implants and other custom ceramic implantable components.

The C5 Medical Werks’s facility in Grand Junction, Colo., was specifically designed to meet the growing demand for long-term implantable ceramic components. State-of-the-art manufacturing and inspection capabilities such as advanced materials development, forming technologies, firing equipment, precision finishing and precision measuring equipment optimize the company’s ability to innovate and compete globally.

“Our team moved the company forward from a development entity in 2005 to a fully operational company in 2006,” says Andrew Nield, Director of Sales and Marketing at C5 Medical Werks. “In existence for less than one year at the time, we were the youngest company to receive ISO 13485 certification recorded by our registrar, the British Standards Institution (BSI). We are focused on success in our three primary target markets, hip, spine and dental implants, and intend to expand quickly into custom applications. Our commitment to superior processes and products will enable the company to partner with the leading implantable medical device providers in the world.”

Already in full-scale production, C5 Medical Werks forecasts steady growth in revenue and has announced plans to significantly expand their workforce over the next 12 months. With a strong vision based on world class manufacturing and continuous improvement, C5 Medical Werks is poised to meet the quality, performance and integrity demands of its implantable device customers in the United States, Europe and Asia.

About C5 Medical Werks
C5 Medical Werks is a leading provider of ceramic solutions for the medical device industry. The company’s capabilities include state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, specially formulated ceramic materials, and a comprehensive quality system – including certification to ISO 13485:2003. Product lines include ceramic implantable components to be used in hip, spine, and dental applications as well as other potential custom implant components. C5 Medical Werks excels at manufacturing premium implantable components that help people live better lives. For more information, please visit www.c5medicalwerks.com or call (877) 259-3757.

Contact:
Andrew Nield, Director
Sales and Marketing
(303) 618-6798
[email protected]
or
Marge D. Hansen
(800) 445-7602
[email protected]

August 24, 2006 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –MedMined, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health, today announced that it has reached a major milestone, now providing its sophisticated infection-tracking service to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs to 200 hospitals in the United States. Hospitals recently adopting MedMined’s comprehensive Data Mining Surveillance service include 343-bed Union Hospital in Terre Haute, Ind.

These results offer further evidence of MedMined’s leadership position in providing infection-tracking services to medical institutions across the country. Use of MedMined’s innovative Data Mining Surveillance service has doubled during the past year.

According to G.T. LaBorde, MedMined’s chief operating officer, the success of the company is evident in the growing number of hospitals that have turned to the MedMined Data Mining Surveillance service, which represents a proven way to identify patterns of infections and antibiotic resistance within hospitals and communities and reduce costs. “Reaching 200 customers is an important milestone, and we are pleased with the accelerating pace of adoption by hospitals,” LaBorde said. “These hospitals have found that the MedMined service is highly effective, allowing infection control staff to quickly and accurately deploy infection control resources. The results are evident in reduced healthcare-associated infections, improved patient safety, and decreased costs.”

Fast, efficient implementation of the service also has contributed to the company’s rapid growth. The average time for implementation of the service is just 36 days. Implementation rates among customers are high, with more than 90 percent of the 200 hospital customers, or 188 hospitals, fully implemented; the remaining new customers are expected to go online within the next two months.

“We are pleased that Union Hospital is MedMined’s 200th customer and the first medical center in Indiana to adopt the Data Mining Surveillance service,” said Wayne Hutson, chief financial officer at Union Hospital. “As a healthcare leader, we are committed to technology innovation and delivering the highest level of patient care. Implementing the Data Mining Surveillance service will allow us to set a new standard for hospital infection prevention, further enhancing the quality of our patient care.”

Union Hospital, a member of the Union Hospital Health Group, is the largest not-for-profit provider of health services between West Central Indiana and East Central Illinois. Union Hospital offers a broad range of patient care services, including newborn intensive care, emergency care, and senior services. Specialty care also is provided in the hospital’s Clara Fairbanks Center for Women and the Hux Cancer and Cardiovascular Centers.

In the United States, healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) affect nearly 2 million patients each year and contribute to approximately 88,000 deaths. MedMined employs artificial intelligence technology to continually monitor patient data from all areas of the hospital for possible warning signs of HAIs. Data Mining Surveillance features a sophisticated, ongoing process of data extraction, cleaning, and analysis that does not require data entry or pre-defined search criteria. As a result, highly complex, unsuspected patterns can be captured from vast amounts of data. This unique service helps hospitals efficiently and cost-effectively meet the challenge of reducing HAIs by combining ongoing review and analysis of infection-related data from hospital systems with clinical support and educational tools designed to facilitate meaningful change and process improvements, and comply with state mandatory reporting requirements.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) is a $75 billion global company serving the healthcare industry with a broad portfolio of products and services. Through its diverse offering, Cardinal Health delivers integrated healthcare solutions that help customers reduce their costs, improve efficiency and deliver better care to patients. The company manufactures, packages and distributes pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, offers a range of clinical services and develops automation products that improve the management and delivery of supplies and medication for hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 55,000 people on six continents. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com.

About MedMined
MedMined is a Birmingham-based medical information technology company founded in 2000 to provide data mining analysis and related technical, clinical, and financial consulting services to the healthcare community. In July 2006, MedMined was acquired by Cardinal Health, the leading provider of products and services supporting the healthcare industry. MedMined’s patented infection-tracking technology and proprietary service are being used by 200 hospitals in 28 states covering more than 3 million hospital admissions. For more information, visit www.medmined.com.

CONTACT:
Sullivan & Associates for MedMined
Barbara Sullivan, 714-374-6174
[email protected]

August 22, 2006 — /MARKET WIRE/ — SAN DIEGO, CA — Althea Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of innovative technologies and services for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, announced today that it has been awarded a contract from Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. to produce its ALTU-238 product candidate, a crystallized formulation of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) that is designed to be administered once-weekly through a fine gauge needle for the treatment of HGH disorders. Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTU ), based in Cambridge, MA, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of oral and injectable protein therapeutics for patients with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.

“Althea Technologies is a seasoned CMO with significant experience in the manufacture of recombinant proteins,” commented Sheldon Berkle, President and CEO of Altus. “We look forward to working together through technology transfer and the installation and qualification of the key equipment necessary for the production of ALTU-238. We feel confident in their ability to manufacture reliable quantities of ALTU-238 for our planned Phase III clinical trials that meet our high standards of quality and patient safety.”

Althea Technologies will manufacture the Phase III clinical trial material of ALTU-238 human growth hormone in its newly expanded cGMP manufacturing facilities at the company’s San Diego, California campus.

President and Co-CEO of Althea, Dr. Magda Marquet, added, “We are pleased that Altus Pharmaceuticals selected Althea Technologies to manufacture their innovative ALTU-238 product. As a leader in providing highly technical drug development services to the industry, we are committed to working with Altus to effectively and efficiently manufacture ALTU-238.”

About Althea Technologies, Inc.

Althea Technologies, a leading San Diego-based pharmaceutical services firm, provides critical manufacturing and development services that support researchers worldwide in their advancement of novel therapies and efforts to apply new genomic information. Althea’s services include cGMP contract manufacturing of recombinant proteins, DNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, aseptic filling, and gene quantification using real-time PCR and gene expression analysis under GLP conditions. Additionally, Althea has introduced new services and technologies for the identification and understanding of gene signatures with innovative tools such as the company’s proprietary eXpress Profiling(?) (XP-PCR) technology. For more information, visit www.altheatech.com.

About Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Altus Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Cambridge, MA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of oral and injectable protein therapeutics for patients with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. The Company’s website is http://www.altus.com.

Contact:
Althea Technologies, Inc.
Alan Moore
Executive Vice President and CBO
(858) 882-0205
[email protected]

SOURCE: Althea Technologies, Inc.

August 22, 2006 — /MasterControl/ — SALT LAKE CITY UT USA — Validation of electronic record-keeping systems is critical to overall FDA compliance. The principle behind 21 CFR Part 11’s validation requirement is to ensure accuracy, reliability, and consistent intended performance of the system and to determine invalid or altered records.

About the White Paper

This white paper prepared by MasterControl Inc., offers practical “Good System Implementation Practice” tips to help improve your validation documentation and ensure your system’s Part 11 compliance.

MasterControl’s recommendations cover five key areas:
–System SOPs
–User Authentication
–Access security
–Audit trail
–Record retention

About MasterControl
MasterControl Inc. has been at the forefront of providing innovative quality management software solutions since 1993. Over 400 companies worldwide use the MasterControl˙ solution to consistently meet FDA regulations, ISO standards, and other regulatory requirements. In addition to providing off-the-shelf products, MasterControl also offers comprehensive technical and customer support, including product training, installation, implementation, and validation services. For more information or additional white papers, visit www.mastercontrol.com or call 800-825-9117.