IDEXX Laboratories acquires Bommeli Diagnostics [Trade]

1 December 2004

Intervet herewith publishes a press release by IDEXX Laboratories Inc. acquiring Dr. Bommeli AG, an Intervet company.

WESTBROOK, Maine, December 1, 2004—IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDXX), announced that its Production Animal Services group has completed the acquisition of Dr. Bommeli AG from Intervet, a Netherlands-based animal health company. Based in Liebefeld-Bern, Switzerland, Bommeli is an internationally recognized leader in the production animal diagnostic market, offering state-of-the-art diagnostic reagents and test kits for the control of diseases.

“We are very excited about this acquisition, as it further solidifies IDEXX’s long-term commitment to its customers,” commented Dr. Quentin Tonelli, Vice President, IDEXX Laboratories. “The highly regarded Bommeli CHEKiT® line of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay products complements the IDEXX portfolio and, coupled with IDEXX’s strong commitment to research and development, provides customers with a broader portfolio of products and services to meet their current and future diagnostic needs.”

About IDEXX
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development and commercialization of innovative, technology-based products and services for veterinary, food and water applications. The Company's largest business is focused on companion animal health, combining biotechnology, medical device technology and information technology to aid veterinarians in providing better medicine while building successful practices. IDEXX Laboratories’ food and water businesses are focused on employing innovative technologies to monitor production animal health and the safety and quality of drinking water and milk. Headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, IDEXX Laboratories employs more than 2,600 people and offers products to customers in over 100 countries.

About Intervet
Intervet, a business unit of Akzo Nobel, headquartered in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, with sales of EUR 1,010 million in 2003, is dedicated to research and development, production and marketing of innovative animal health products and feed additives. Intervet's product range for use in livestock, companion animals, poultry and fish includes vaccines, antiparasitics, anti-infectives, endocrine products and other pharmaceutical specialties, diagnostics and feed additives. Intervet operates globally with its own marketing organizations. The company currently employs around 5,000 people.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements about the Company’s business prospects that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's expectations of future events as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments. Actual results could differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the following: the Company’s ability to develop, manufacture, introduce and market new products and enhancements to existing products; the effectiveness of the Company’s sales and marketing activities; the Company’s ability to develop, license or obtain rights to new technologies; the Company’s ability to identify acquisition opportunities, complete acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses; the impact of competition and technological change on the markets for the Company’s products; the effect of government regulation on the Company’s business, including government decisions about whether and when to approve the Company’s products and decisions regarding labeling, manufacturing and marketing products; the impact of distributor purchasing decisions on sales of our products that are sold through distribution; changes or trends in veterinary medicine that affect the rate of use of the Company’s products and services by veterinarians; the Company’s ability to obtain patent and other intellectual property protection for its products, successfully enforce its intellectual property rights and defend itself against third party claims against the Company; disruptions, shortages or pricing changes that affect the Company’s purchases of products and materials from third parties, including from sole source suppliers; the effects of government regulatory decisions, customer demand, pricing and other factors on the realizability of the Company’s inventories; the Company’s ability to manufacture complex biologic products; the effects of operations outside the U.S., including  from currency fluctuations, different regulatory, political and economic conditions, and different market conditions; and the loss of key employees. A further description of these and other factors can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, in the section captioned "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

For further information please contact:

André Fuchs,
IDEXX Laboratories Inc.
Director and General Manager
Production Animal Services
Tel: +1-207-856-8704