RALEIGH, N.C., U.S.A. (September 29, 2006)

  Qualyst, Inc. announced today its financial contribution to the third annual Hepatocyte Research Association (HRA) meeting, to be held as an approved satellite meeting of the fourteenth North American meeting of the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX) in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico in October. 

  The HRA meeting will be held at the Westin Rio Mar Resort on Saturday October 21st, 2006 from 1:00-5:30 PM.  The theme of the meeting will be current techniques and uses of primary hepatocytes to study hepatotoxicity.  Confirmed speakers and topics include:

“In Vitro Models to Predict Hepatotoxicity”
– Vsevolod (Seva) Kostrubsky, Pfizer

“Evaluation of drug toxicity with human hepatocytes:  Toxicity screening, toxicogenomics, and IdMOC”
– Al Li, Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences Inc. 

"Changes in Liver Transport Protein Expression as an Adaptive Response to Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity”
– Jose Manautou, University of Connecticut

“The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition (MPT): A Culprit to Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury to Hepatocytes”
– Jae-Sung Kim, University of Florida

“Relative Potencies of Dioxin-Like Chemicals in Human and Rat Hepatocytes”
- Craig Rowlands, Dow Chemical

“We are delighted to contribute to an organization that promotes scientific discussion in an area of critical importance in pharmaceutical research and development,” said Ian Mehr, Qualyst VP of Business Development. “Qualyst’s B-CLEAR® assay utilizes primary hepatocytes in a sandwich-cultured configuration to assess drug transporters as a system, enabling more accurate and predictive assessment of compounds’ hepatobiliary distribution and toxicity. This HRA should provide an excellent forum to discuss B-CLEAR® and other methods to assess hepatotoxicity.”

About Qualyst, Inc.
Qualyst commercializes novel and proprietary ADMET products for drug discovery and development. Qualystís products allow pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers to make faster, better decisions regarding drug candidate compounds, saving valuable time and research dollars in the process. Qualyst, Inc. was founded on discoveries from breakthrough research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. For additional information, please refer to the company's web site at www.Qualyst.com or call 919-313-6500.

CONTACT:

Ian J. Mehr
Vice President, Business Development
Qualyst, Inc.
919-313-6507
info[AT]qualyst[DOT]com
www.Qualyst.com