MDS Pharma Services announces addition of BIACORE 3000 System.

(October 16, 2001; Montreal, Quebec) — MDS Pharma Services announced today that it has purchased the BIACORE 3000 instrumentation system for use in bioanalytical research, including drug discovery assignments. The new BIACORE 3000 instrumentation system represents a significant advancement in the automation of bioanalytical research. It also provides highly advanced sensitivity in sample analysis and vital flexibility in method development.

"The BIACORE 3000 is the highest performance system available for label free studies of biomolecular binding," said Jim Hulse, senior vice president, bioanalytical, MDS Pharma Services. "The system represents a significant investment. This is another example of our dedication to enhancing the capabilities in our bioanalytical laboratories. A key driver to our business is the dedication to staying on the forefront of technology. This specific investment in the BIACORE 3000 will help us answer vital questions about the speed, strength, and specificity of biomolecular binding and determine the active concentrations of components. The speedy and accurate acquisition of such data is crucial to our clients."

MDS Pharma Services is employing the new BIACORE 3000 in its bioanalytical laboratory in St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada.

Various technical innovations incorporated into the BIACORE 3000 allow it to meet the highest demands for sensitivity, efficiency, and flexibility. The system shortens analysis times, minimizes sample consumption, works with both non-aqueous and aqueous samples, efficiently develops non-standard applications, and performs the most advanced kinetic evaluations.

"One of the key strengths of the BIACORE 3000 is that it allows us to quickly develop non-standard applications," continued Hulse "It gives us complete freedom to develop fully customized methods that are then quickly ready-to-run."

The BIACORE 3000 was developed and manufactured by Biacore International AB, globally headquartered in Sweden. Biacore is a global leader in the development, manufacture, and marketing of innovative and unique products to detect and monitor molecular binding. BIACORE systems are used in drug discovery, life science research, and food analysis.

As the global leader in bioanalytical services, MDS Pharma Services offers extensive expertise in method development, rapid sample analysis, custom assay development, biochemical markers, and statistical and pharmacokinetic services. This advanced technology, along with highly-skilled scientific staff and extensive emphasis on customer service, ensure reliable client solutions. With bioanalytical laboratories worldwide, equipped with more than 70 LC/MS/MS instruments, and over 700 available assays, MDS Pharma Services rapidly delivers accurate results.

MDS Pharma Services offers a full spectrum of resources to meet the drug discovery and development needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. With facilities in more than 18 countries, the company applies advanced scientific and technological expertise to each stage of the drug discovery and development process: discovery, preclinical, early clinical research (phases I-IIa), bioanalytical, global clinical research (phases IIb-IV), and central lab.

MDS Pharma Services is part of MDS Inc. (TSE: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), an international health and life sciences company. In many of its products and services, it is among the largest and most respected companies in the world. At MDS, the focus is on fighting disease. It does this by providing laboratory testing, imaging products, research services to speed discovery and development of new drugs, therapy systems for planning and delivery of cancer treatments, analytical instruments to assist in the development of new drugs, and medical/surgical supplies. MDS employs more than 10,000 highly skilled people in its global operations on five continents. Detailed information abut the company is available at the MDS Web site at www.mdsintl.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.