VisualSonics Inc. and VWR International, Inc.Form A Co-Marketing Alliance For In Vivo Imaging Systems

October 6, 2005 : (TORONTO, CANADA and WEST CHESTER, PA, USA) : VisualSonics and VWR International today announced a global co-marketing alliance that will allow VWR to co-market the VisualSonics in vivo imaging system - the Vevo 770™ high-resolution imaging system - to their preclinical customers across North America and Europe.

"Our Vevo 770 micro-imaging technology is being adopted at a rapid pace worldwide as the benefits of in vivo imaging are becoming well understood in the academic and drug discovery and development marketplace", say Tom Little, CEO of VisualSonics. "We have an excellent direct sales team that has developed our significant sales results to-date. In looking to expand our distribution globally, VWR provides significant sales and marketing expertise and coverage to further expand our penetration of key life science laboratories. This co-marketing alliance benefits both VWR and VisualSonics as the trusted relationships of VWR and the excellence in instrumentation of VisualSonics will allow many new researchers to now have access to the Vevo 770 in vivo imaging system".

“VWR is committed to providing cutting edge tools and products to expedite our customer’s research efforts", commented Zishan Haroon, Global Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals and BioSciences at VWR. "The Vevo 770 is a next generation tool allowing customers to carry out in vivo discovery research more effectively and efficiently in their oncology, cardiology and development studies. Our collaboration with VisualSonics will allow us to quickly and comprehensively introduce this new in vivo imaging modality to our customers globally. This is part of our efforts to bring a more complete portfolio of products and services to customers focused in preclinical in vivo research market. This relationship will continue to strengthen VWR’s ability to provide our customers with superior solutions.”

About VisualSonics

VisualSonics Inc. (www.visualsonics.com) is the leading manufacturer of high-resolution in vivo imaging systems for small animal research. VisualSonics’ Vevo 770™ high-resolution imaging system provides real-time visualization and measurement of anatomical and hemodynamic function in small animals down to 30 microns. Because of the non-invasive nature of the technology, longitudinal studies of the same animal can be performed. This high-resolution imaging technology is being successfully applied to phenotypic-based research applications such as developmental biology, cardiovascular research, cancer biology, neurobiology and preclinical drug discovery

About VWR International, Inc.

VWR International is a leader in the global research laboratory industry with worldwide sales of US $3.0 billion. VWR's business is highly diversified across a spectrum of products and services, customer groups and geography. The company offers more than 750,000 products and services, from more than 5,000 manufacturers, to over 250,000 customers throughout North America and Europe. VWR's primary customers work in the pharmaceutical, life science, chemical, technology, food processing and consumer product industries. Other important customers include universities and research institutes; governmental agencies; environmental testing organizations; and primary and secondary schools. VWR International affiliates operate in 18 countries and employ approximately 6,000 people. The company's mission is to deliver excellence in the distribution of scientific supplies. The VWR International Group is headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania

For more information, contact: 

VisualSonics Contact:

Tom Little 
President and CEO 
VisualSonics Inc. 
Toronto, Canada 
Tel. 416.484.5010 
Email tlittle@visualsonics.com

VWR International, Inc. Contact: 
Zishan Haroon, MD, Ph.D.
Global Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals and BioSciences 
Global Marketing 
VWR International, Inc. 
Tel. 610.429.2709 
e-mail : zishan_haroon@vwr.com 
Web: www.vwr.com

**VWR and design is a trademark of VWR International, Inc