Under New NCI Contract, SRI International Synthesizes Compounds of Interest to Cancer Researchers 

MENLO PARK, California – November 4, 2003 – SRI International, an independent research and development organization, has received a three-year, $1.52 million contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to synthesize selected chemical carcinogens, derivatives of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and chemopreventive agents of interest to the cancer research community. The compounds will be offered to researchers through NCI's Chemical Carcinogen Reference Standard Repository.

SRI has been one of NCI's primary synthesis contractors since the Repository's inception more than 20 years ago. Under this new contract, SRI will synthesize, isolate, purify, and characterize compounds required by researchers as authentic standards and substrates to aid in elucidation of the pathways of carcinogen metabolic activation and molecular mechanisms of action.

In addition to NCI, SRI's Biosciences Division works with other government agencies and commercial pharmaceutical companies to provide a broad range of preclinical discovery and development services in a GLP and cGMP environment. SRI's drug discoveries include the anti-malarial halofantrine (Halfan®), the antiviral vidarabine (Vira-A), several agents in human clinical trials for cancer, and several small-molecule drug candidates about to enter clinical development for cancer treatment and diagnosis. During its 50-year history of preclinical development work, SRI has performed FDA-compliant services on more than 30 marketed drugs and more than 100 drugs in clinical trials.

More information about the NCI's Chemical Carcinogen Reference Standard Repository can be found at http://resresources.nci.nih.gov/database.cfm?id=382

About SRI International

Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 55 years. The nonprofit research institute performs contract research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and private foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships and creates spin-off companies.

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