Synarc Completes the Acquisition of IôDP, a Medical Imaging Company Specializing in Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Disease

Acquisition Broadens Synarc's Therapeutic Focus and Adds Important Software Tool for Image Analysis

Maynard, Mass. - July 27, 2004 - Synarc, Inc., a leader in providing highly specialized medical imaging and molecular marker services for global clinical trials, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of IôDP Medical Imaging Research, a provider of medical imaging services focused on clinical trials in cardiovascular diseases, stroke and other indications focused on asthma, contrast media studies, and retinal angiography analysis.

IôDP founded 13 years ago and headquarted in Paris, was also operating as a centralized image analysis service, organizing blinded central reading with validated software for clinical trials in these specific fields. IôDP has carried out a substantial number of multinational and multi-center trials and counted some of the major American and European laboratories amongst its clients.

IôDP has an outstanding team of individuals led by Jean Claude Provost and has proprietary software tools for highly specialized image analysis for clinical trials. For example, IôDP's technology allows precise and reproducible measurements of the thickness of the intima of the carotid artery in atherosclerosis trials. Their technology also includes left ventricle mass measurement, as well as rate of contrast enhancement of the left ventricle in MRI, systems for lung CT analysis in asthma, and retinal angiography analysis. As a leading expert in applications of imaging in cardiology and neurovascular disease, IôDP has contributed more than 70 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, such as 'Stroke', 'Circulation', 'The Lancet' and 'Atherosclerosis & Thrombosis'.

"The synergy between Synarc's strong presence in medical imaging and IôDP's knowledge base and experience in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease make this an important strategic acquisition for us," Peter Steiger, Ph.D., Synarc's Chief Executive Officer and President commented. "With the acquisition of IôDP combined with the existing molecular marker capabilities at Synarc, we expect to emerge as a leading provider of centralized imaging and molecular marker services in the large and growing area of cardiovascular and neurovascular clinical trials. We also believe that IôDP's technology platform will be useful for clinical trials in other therapeutic areas that we are currently active in."

Jean Claude Provost, M.D., IôDP's Chief Executive Officer and President added, "We are thrilled at the opportunity to become aligned with the high quality team at Synarc. Both companies have approached the medical imaging services business with innovative scientific solutions and excellence in service, and we look forward to contributing to the growth and leadership position Synarc has established. Within Synarc, IôDP will serve as the global division for cardiology and neurovascular disease. This is in keeping with our clients' needs to have highly specialized teams handling their projects."

Yves Miaux, M.D., M.Sc., Synarc's Senior Vice President of Radiology Services, added, "Synarc has experts and thought leaders in each therapeutic area in which we offer services. As we considered the cardiovascular market, it was clear to us that Jean Claude Provost and the IôDP team were the leaders in this important therapeutic area. In addition, I believe that IôDP's experience in bringing new contrast media to market is very important. This is an area that I have personal interest and expertise in, and it is very exciting to be adding their expertise to Synarc."

Brad Smith, Synarc's Chief Financial Officer, commented, "We closed a private equity round of financing with Schroder and U.S. Venture Partners in February, with the intention of using the proceeds to accelerate our growth through acquisitions. The acquisition of IôDP provides us with an opportunity to expand our product offering further and to achieve a dominant leadership position in medical imaging for clinical trials. It is consistent with our long-term strategy of expanding the breadth and range of our services, and it will contribute to our growth in revenues and profitability as we scale our business."

The financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

About Synarc, Inc.

Synarc enables its clients to demonstrate the efficacy of new therapies across a broad range of therapeutic areas through highly specialized medical imaging and molecular marker techniques. Synarc is the world's largest Central Radiology service dedicated exclusively to global clinical trials for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The Company's mission is to improve the quality, economy and speed of the clinical trials through medical and scientific expertise, synergistic partnerships, regulatory discipline, service excellence and innovation. Synarc was formed in 1999 through a multinational consolidation of service providers into one global company. Synarc started with core expertise in musculoskeletal diseases such as Osteoporosis, Arthritis and Orthopedics, and has now expanded its services across a spectrum of diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease. Synarc has eight offices around the world and currently manages clinical trials involving more 60,000 patients in over 1,500 sites worldwide. To learn more about Synarc, please visit our website at www.Synarc.com.

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For Information Contact:

U.S.
Joy Valderrama
Marketing & Sales Support Specialist
+1.415.817.8919
joy.valderrama@synarc.com

Europe
Jean-Claude Provost
Vice President, Cardiology and Neurology
+33 1 49 66 24 04