News
SENOMYX ANNOUNCES POSITIVE REVIEW OF ITS SAVORY FLAVOR INGREDIENTS BY JECFA (JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT COMMITTEE ON FOOD ADDITIVES)
SAN DIEGO, CA - July 12, 2007 - Senomyx, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNMX), a leading company focused on using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the packaged food and beverage industry, announced today that the Company's savory flavor ingredients received a positive review by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which determined that there were no safety concerns with the use of these ingredients in foods. The JECFA determination facilitates the acceptance or approval of flavors for use in food in many countries throughout the world.
"In the U.S., Senomyx's savory flavor ingredients have been determined to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)," noted Kent Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Senomyx. "The GRAS status allows for commercialization in a significant number of countries, and facilitates approval in much of the rest of the world. The positive assessment by JECFA is expected to expedite regulatory approvals in additional countries, particularly those that do not have independent regulatory approval systems."
JECFA is an independent committee of international scientific experts that has been evaluating the safety of food additives and flavors since 1956. It is jointly administered by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations. JECFA performs assessments and provides advice to FAO, WHO and the member countries of both organizations.
The JECFA assessment and the previous GRAS determination enable incorporation of Senomyx's savory flavor ingredients into a variety of food products including sauces, frozen foods, processed cheese and snack foods.
"Senomyx has primary responsibility for obtaining international regulatory approvals for the savory flavor ingredients and other flavorings that will be marketed by our collaborators," Snyder explained. "The review and affirmative determination by JECFA is an acknowledgement of the safety of our flavor ingredients."
About Senomyx, Inc. (www.senomyx.com)
Senomyx is a leading company using proprietary taste receptor-based assays, screening technologies and optimization chemistry to discover and develop novel flavors, flavor enhancers, and taste modulators for the packaged food and beverage industry. Senomyx's current programs focus on the development of these flavor ingredients in the savory, sweet, salt, and bitter areas. Senomyx has entered into product discovery and development collaborations with seven of the world's leading packaged food and beverage companies: Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Nestlé SA, and Solae, LLC. For more information, please visit www.senomyx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the capabilities of Senomyx's savory flavor ingredients; the size of any market for Senomyx's products; Senomyx's ability, or Senomyx's collaborators' ability, to commercialize products incorporating Senomyx's flavor ingredients in packaged foods and beverages; and Senomyx's potential royalty revenues. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: Senomyx is dependent on its product discovery and development collaborators for all of Senomyx's revenue; Senomyx is dependent on its current and any future product discovery and development collaborators to develop and commercialize any flavor ingredients Senomyx may discover; Senomyx may be unable to develop flavor ingredients useful for formulation into products; Senomyx or its collaborators may be unable to obtain and maintain the regulatory approval required for flavor ingredients to be incorporated into products that are sold; even if Senomyx or its collaborators receive a regulatory approval and incorporate Senomyx flavor ingredients into products, those products may never be commercially successful; and Senomyx's ability to compete in the flavor ingredients market may decline if Senomyx does not adequately protect its proprietary technologies. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Senomyx's most recently filed SEC documents, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings "Risks Related to Our Business" and "Risks Related to Our Industry." All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Senomyx undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
Contacts
gwen.rosenberg@senomyx.com
Investor Relations:
Gwen Rosenberg
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Senomyx, Inc.
858-646-8369