April 28, 2004 - Finalists Named in 2004 Utah Innovation Awards

SALT LAKE CITY, April 28, 2004 — Eighteen high-tech innovations and the Utah companies that created them have been selected as finalists in the second annual Stoel Rives UTAH INNOVATION AWARDS. This statewide program was developed jointly by the business law firm Stoel Rives LLP and Wasatch Digital iQ magazine, in conjunction with the Utah Engineering Experiment Station and with support from MountainWest Venture Group, Utah Information Technology Association and Utah Life Science Association.

Six winners—one from each category—will be announced at an awards lunch on May 20, 2004 at noon in the University of Utah Olpin Union Ballroom. A committee of 35 experts from private industry, government and higher education selected the award finalists, three in each of the program's six categories: biotechnology; chemicals, pharmaceuticals & nutraceuticals; medical devices; computer software & Web services; electrical devices; and mechanical devices. Votes were tallied by the accounting firm KPMG. More details about the awards program are available at www.stoel.com/innovation2004.

"This year's submissions were quite impressive," said State Science Advisor Dr. Michael A. Keene, who served on the selection committee both this year and last. "Utah inventors are developing innovations that can not only boost economic growth but also significantly improve our quality of life. The Utah Innovation Awards program shines the spotlight on promising innovations that we believe merit interest from venture capitalists and from businesses in and outside of Utah."

LIST OF FINALISTS (BY CATEGORY)

Finalists, listed alphabetically (by innovating entity) within each category, are as follows:

In the biotechnology category, finalists include the MAUI Microarray Hybridization System (created by BioMicro Systems, Inc.), Real-Time PCR Mutation Scanning (Idaho Technology Inc. and University of Utah), and Targeted Gene Manipulation (University of Utah). These innovations, respectively, are designed to monitor thousands of genes at the same time, more easily detect disease-causing mutations in DNA, and efficiently bind DNA and incorporate genetic material for genetic manipulation of any target organism.

Finalists in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals & nutraceuticals category are Flurizan (Myriad Genetics, Inc.), Isovaleramide (NPS Pharmaceuticals), and SoilSET (Sequoia Pacific Research Company, LLC). These innovations, respectively, include a drug for the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer, a small organic molecule compound being developed to treat migraine headaches and other central nervous system disorders, and a nanotechnology product that binds soil particles to control erosion, suppress dust and revegetate soil.

Finalists in the medical devices category include Improved Disease Diagnostics Based on Simplified Molecular Separation and Identification (ARUP Laboratories), HeartQuest™ Ventricular Assist Device (MedQuest Products, Inc.), and CHADD or Controlled Heat-Assisted Drug Delivery (Zars, Inc.). These innovations, respectively, include a technique that can help hospitals, blood banks and bio-warfare analysts recognize diseases by their genetic identity, a long-term implantable blood pump used as an alternative to heart transplant for patients with end-stage congestive heart failure, and a proprietary heating patch that enhances the delivery of drugs across the skin.

Finalists in the computer software & Web services category include Engage ThoughtTree™ (Engage ThoughtWare™ LLC), Forum Systems Web Services Security Solutions (Forum Systems), and RESIDENT WORKS™ (Property Solutions International, Inc.). These innovations, respectively, include a technology that promotes collaborative knowledge-sharing in organizations through the first behavioral software for thinking, communicating and accelerating new ideas, a Web services security technology that protects against information theft and new, hidden online threats, and a technology that allows residents and property managers to make payments, maintenance requests and other transactions online.

Finalists in the electrical devices category include Kestrel Autopilot (Brigham Young University), CodecSys™ (Broadcast International), and Hypercomputers® (Star Bridge Systems, Inc.). These innovations, respectively, provide flight control of miniature unmanned aerial vehicles, enable the creation of high-quality video and audio transmission at lower bandwidth, and use field programmable gate arrays to create reconfigurable supercomputers that are used in scientific research and development and in the life sciences, geosciences and other high-performance computing applications.

Finalists in the mechanical devices category include CERCANAM® (Ceramatec, Inc.), High-Purity Conductive Quartz Heater (Trebor – a unit of IDEX), and Novel Titanium Boride Surface-Hardening Technology (University of Utah). These innovations, respectively, include a nano-ceramic that can be used in a broad range of applications such as optical connectors and fire-retardant building materials, a single-piece heating element with a low thermal mass for use in semiconductor manufacturing, and a technology that enables the outer layer of articles made of titanium to become harder and more wear- resistant.

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT MAY 20 EVENT

Finalists will be recognized and the six winners announced at the awards lunch held in conjunction with the Edison Conference on Thursday, May 20, 2004 at noon in the University of Utah Olpin Union Ballroom. Dr. Rex Spendlove, founder of HyClone Laboratories and this year's winner of the Experiment Station's Pathfinder Award, will also be honored. The awards lunch will be the centerpiece event of the Edison Conference, a day-long event that includes presentations by industry leaders, a showcase of Utah innovations, and one-on-one meetings with potential funding sources. This year's lunch will include opening remarks from Utah Governor Olene S. Walker and will feature Ed Catmull, co-founder of entertainment giant Pixar, as guest speaker.

The cost to attend the awards lunch only is $40 per person or $320 for a table that seats eight. The registration fee for the Edison Conference is $95. The conference cost includes a May 19 pre-event reception and the May 20 day-long event, including the awards lunch. To register for the awards lunch and the Edison Conference, visit http://www.utah.edu/uees/Edison/Edison_home.html. For more information, contact Dr. Terrence Chatwin at 801-581-6348, .

"Utah's high-tech and life science industries are developing wonderful innovations that have an immediate, positive impact on Utah and will stimulate the economy into the future," said Chatwin. "We hope that by highlighting these successes we can help educate businesses about the available funding and at the same time draw more venture capital to Utah to ensure continued growth."

Program organizer and Stoel Rives LLP attorney Kevin Laurence said his firm helped create the Utah Innovation Awards program with the ultimate aim of fostering further growth in Utah's high-tech sector. "Anything we can do to boost visibility and respect for Utah's high-tech industry benefits the community as a whole," he said. Stoel Rives LLP is a business law firm with significant experience in several practice areas, including intellectual property law. The firm's Salt Lake City office has 53 attorneys, including 11 attorneys who help clients obtain patents and trademarks, arrange licensing agreements, and defend and protect intellectual property assets. The firm has attorneys with degrees in electrical engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry and physics.

See Attached Table for additional information about each finalist.

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Contact Information:

Stoel Rives UTAH INNOVATION AWARDS
Kevin Laurence: 801-578-6932

Lisa Badger: 801-715-6657