Senomyx Expands Collaboration with Ajinomoto; Zlotnik Joins Co.

Senomyx (San Diego) has expanded its existing collaborative research, development, commercialization and license agreement with Ajinomoto Co., Inc. to include the additional territories of the United States and Canada. Senomyx is a company focused on using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the packaged food and beverage industry. Senomyx will work with Ajinomoto on an exclusive basis on the development and commercialization of certain existing novel flavor ingredients for the soup and bouillon, sauce and culinary aids, noodles, snack food, and frozen foods product categories in North America. Ajinomoto has agreed to pay Senomyx an initial license fee to access the North American rights. In addition, upon commercialization, Senomyx will be entitled to a specified milestone payment from Ajinomoto as well as ongoing royalty payments based on sales of Ajinomoto products containing a Senomyx flavor ingredient.

Of the expanded collaboration, Senomyx president and CEO Kent Snyder said, “We are very pleased to broaden our March 2006 collaboration with Ajinomoto to include the United States and Canada in addition to the previously licensed Asian markets. North America is an important strategic market for our flavor ingredients and we are pleased to collaborate with Ajinomoto on developing commercial applications there.”

In other news, Senomyx has appointed Albert Zlotnik vice president of biology. Zlotnik is a molecular biologist with more than 20 years of experience in both academic science and the biotechnology industry.

Of the addition, Snyder said, “During the past few months Senomyx has expanded our scientific activities to five discovery and development programs and entered into two new collaborations. The addition of Albert to Senomyx’s management team will strengthen our position as a leader in the science of human taste, and will help us move forward as we work to create new flavor ingredients that meet the needs of our collaborators.”