GENELINK, INC ANNOUNCES THE FILING OF A U.S. PATENT APPLICATION FOR A SNPs BASED METHOD TO DETECT SUSCEPTIBILITY TO OSTEOPENIA
August 9, 2001

MARGATE, NJ - (Business Wire) - 8/9/2001- GeneLink BioSciences, Inc. (OTCBB:GNLK), The World's First Family Centered DNA Bank and Hereditary Genetic Information Service, today announced that it has filed a U.S. Patent Application through the Philadelphia office of the international law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, for GeneLink's proprietary genetic profiling method to predict an individual's susceptibility to osteopenia. Osteopenia is a condition that often leads to osteoporosis - a disease characterized by low bone density. The World Health Organization formed a committee in 1994 to define osteoporosis and created four diagnostic categories: Normal, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, and Established Osteoporosis.

Specifically, GeneLink's new osteopenia gene test (Patent Pending) is designed to measure single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced "snips"), which are small variations in DNA. The test looks for SNPs in several key genes that are associated with bone density. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures each year, most notably fractures of the vertebrae, forearms, wrists and hips (these are often crippling and sometimes fatal). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women and at least 1 in 12 men will develop osteoporosis during their lifetime. GeneLink's genetic assessment provides a score that can be used as a guide to determine an individual's genetic propensity for bone density loss.

An attractive feature of this test is the easy and non-invasive method by which the samples are collected using the patented GeneLink DNA Collection Kit®. Simply, the DNA material is collected by rubbing the inside of the mouth with swabs, which are then mailed to the testing laboratory. The samples are kept strictly confidential by bar coding. GeneLink has the only patented non-invasive DNA collection system in use today. 

Significant opportunities exist for GeneLink to market its proprietary, new osteopenia susceptibility gene test. As a predictive instrument, this assessment can assist medical, health and anti-aging practitioners as well as pharmaceutical and nutritional companies offer an even earlier awareness and intervention to individuals who may be susceptible to osteoporosis. Since osteoporosis can develop undetected for decades, this test can be a very important tool to help determine the future risk for fractures and related clinical conditions such as spinal column compression and bone breaks with or with out falls.

"GeneLink's osteopenia susceptibility test is one of our most important new genetic profiles," says John R. DePhillipo, Chairman and CEO of GeneLink BioSciences, Inc. "We are excited to bring to market this important new technology to help families combat osteoporosis. GeneLink is in a position to become the world's leading provider of genetic profiling technologies. The future is now; we are at the forefront of marrying the science of genetics to health care, nutrition, skin care and the weight loss industries. We have received an outpouring of responses from companies seeking to use our profiling as a way to provide new services to their customers. The osteopenia profile is a major addition to GeneLink's other genetic assessments (patents pending), which include oxidative stress (OS), oxidative stress related to skin aging and genetic profiling for obesity. It is our belief that revenues from these products will begin by early Fall of this year."

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which provides a new "safe harbor" for these types of statements.

SOURCE: GeneLink BioSciences, Inc.