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PRESS RELEASE - MARCH 19th, 2007

Upstream Biosciences Inc. Signs Option to Acquire Pacific Pharma Technologies Inc.

March 19, 2007 - Upstream Biosciences Inc. (OTCBB:UPBS) ("Upstream" or "the Company"), an emerging leader in the field of genetic diagnostics for cancer and the prediction of drug response, has signed an option agreement to acquire Pacific Pharma Technologies Inc. The agreement gives Upstream a 3-month exclusive option period to conduct due diligence and negotiate the terms of the acquisition transaction.

Pacific Pharma Technologies Inc. is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based early-stage biopharmaceutical company that uses in silico techniques and traditional laboratory investigation to discover drugs that target high-profile parasitic diseases. Pacific Pharma has proprietary technologies relating to certain widespread infectious diseases and has ongoing research to broaden the application of its proprietary technologies into cancer treatment.

Pacific Pharma retained the University of British Columbia to conduct laboratory contract services tests on its lead compounds. Initial results indicate efficacy of Pacific Pharma's lead compounds for Leishmania donovani (visceral form of leishmaniasis) and Trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping Sickness). These parasites are from a family of protozoa species that include Malaria and Chagas Disease. According to a recent LA Times article, the American Red Cross detected Chagas in 1 in every 3,800 donors in Los Angeles in 2006. Over 300 million people are infected globally by these diseases, which are responsible for an estimated 2.8-million deaths annually according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO estimates $1.15B will be spent treating these diseases by 2015.

“The Pacific Pharma acquisition would greatly expand our growing intellectual property portfolio,” says CEO Joel Bellenson. “An effective, safe, and inexpensive treatment is essential to combat these deadly parasites.”

Upstream is developing diagnostic tests that may aid in the early detection of cancer by identifying individuals with disease susceptibility. Upstream is also developing diagnostic tests that may determine whether a drug will be useful or harmful to an individual patient based on their genetic profile. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, each year 100,000 people die in the United States due to adverse reactions to prescription drugs.

For more information, please contact Samantha Haynes at 1-800-539-0289 or info@upstreambio.com.

Media Contact:
David Libby at 510.868.4903 or cell 510.377.1466 or dlibby@libbycommunnications.com

 

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