Letter to FLIPR Assay Kit Users

Date: Subject:    To:

January 25, 2006 FLIPR® Assay Kit Intellectual Property Update FLIPR Customers

Dear Molecular Devices FLIPR Customer,

Over the past couple of months, we have received inquiries from customers regarding our intellectual property and patent positions relative to our FLIPR Assay Kits (Membrane Potential and Calcium). In order to help clarify our position, we are sending this overview to all of our FLIPR customers.

Molecular Devices Corporation is the exclusive licensee of a patented assay technology from Bayer A.G. (U.S. patent number 6,420,183  [PDF], European patent number 0,906,572  [PDF], and family members throughout the world). Molecular Devices is the only licensed provider of any assay incorporating enhancing, optimizing, quenching or masking agents as claimed in Bayer's patented technology.

When our customers purchase Molecular Devices FLIPR assay kits, Molecular Devices grants a non-exclusive right to use this technology in conjunction with and only in conjunction with these FLIPR assay kits. Molecular Devices is dedicated to the continued development of all FLIPR Assay Kits and our R&D team is currently advancing the technical and scientific bounds of this technology. We will continue to provide you with an innovative portfolio of products that support and accelerate your FLIPR work with such targets as GPCR's, ion channels, and transporters.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at Jan.Hughes@MolDev.com with any questions, concerns, or comments that you may have about this proprietary technology.

Sincerely,

Jan K. Hughes
Vice President Worldwide Marketing