DuPont Updates Investors on its Applied BioSciences Growth Opportunities

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Calling it "one of the most significant growth opportunities in the company's history," DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. today joined several DuPont leaders to update security analysts and investors on its DuPont Applied BioSciences(TM) business. The business covers a range of bio-based products and technologies including BioFuels, BioMaterials, BioSpecialties and BioMedical.

Based on a strong and rapidly advancing pipeline, Holliday said DuPont has accelerated efforts to commercialize its bio-based technologies to meet growing global demand.

"Solutions such as renewable energy, renewably sourced materials and other bio-based technologies are in high demand by the industries we serve," Holliday said. "Today, DuPont is in a strong leadership position with a robust pipeline of product candidates, many of which are the result of the focused application of our scientific capabilities beginning more than a decade ago. We have ambitious targets and our pace is accelerating to deliver these products to the marketplace."

Noting that DuPont is integrating biotechnology with its expertise in chemistry to deliver its bio-based technologies pipeline to the marketplace, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Thomas M. Connelly said DuPont Applied BioSciences(TM), formerly DuPont Bio-Based Materials, is pursuing areas of unmet needs where DuPont's science creates a unique advantage.

"We have prioritized and accelerated our R&D investments with these growth opportunities," Connelly said. "We have broad patent estates that are growing rapidly to protect our discoveries and will create significant competitive advantage. We will continue to use partnerships to address market needs and increase our speed to market. Today, we are even more bullish on DuPont Applied BioSciences(TM) as a major growth area than we were two years ago when we first discussed bio-based technologies as an emerging platform for the company."

"Our pipeline of new bio-based products is creating potentially game- changing solutions to global societal challenges and significant growth opportunities for DuPont," Connelly said, referencing examples such as biobutanol, an advanced biofuel; Bio-PDO(TM), renewably sourced 1,3- propanediol from corn; and ActaMax(TM), a surgical sealant for medical applications. "Today, we are only scratching the surface of the potential broad market applicability these new products may have."

Updates provided during the briefing on BioMaterials, BioFuels, BioSpecialties and BioMedical included:

BioMaterials -- DuPont said customer demand and adoption rates are growing rapidly for its DuPont(TM) Bio-PDO(TM), Sorona(R) and Cerenol(TM) products across a wide range of markets. -- The first renewably sourced Sorona(R) licensee polymer facility will start up in 2008 in China, capable of producing 66 million pounds of Sorona(R) per year. A second facility is scheduled to come online in 2009. -- DuPont expects to complete its renewably sourced Sorona(R) polymer expansion at its Kinston, N.C., facility in 2008. This expansion is to meet the growing demand for Sorona(R) polymer. BioFuels -- DuPont plans to invest about $300 million between 2007-2010 in beachhead biofuels production and pilot facilities to strengthen its regional presence, establish routes to market and demonstrate its technology using different feedstocks. The first production facility is an ethanol joint venture facility announced in June with BP and British Sugar in the United Kingdom. DuPont is assessing three additional equity investments in other parts of the world. -- DuPont confirmed it expects to have processes developed with commercial-level performance for biobutanol and cellulosic ethanol by 2010. -- In its biobutanol partnership with BP, DuPont confirmed that market testing of biobutanol in the United Kingdom is on track. BioSpecialties -- DuPont described two product opportunities from BioSpecialties: BioSurfaces and Omega-3. Both products are based on DuPont proprietary fermentation technology. The first Omega-3 products are expected to be launched in 2009. -- BioSurfaces is a revolutionary platform technology to modify a wide variety of surfaces. Potential target markets include laundry and textile treatments; personal care and cosmetics; industrial coatings and medical devices. -- Renewably sourced Omega-3 products are targeted at human nutrition and aquaculture markets where there is high value for a clean, sustainable source of these important fatty acids. BioMedical -- DuPont said it is developing three product lines for the healthcare industry: ActaMax(TM) surgical sealant for wound closure; an adhesion and prevention line for post-surgical scarring, and; interventional microspheres. The ability to "tune" cure rates, swell, and degradation creates greater efficacy and competitive advantage for these products. -- Commercial partnership agreements for ActaMax(TM) and microspheres are expected to be announced in 2008. ActaMax(TM) and microspheres will be the first two products commercialized from the BioMedical business and are on schedule for launch in 2010.

"DuPont Applied BioSciences(TM) represents one of the most significant growth opportunities in the company's history," Holliday said. "We are accelerating our investments and taking actions to fully capitalize on this opportunity and deliver value for shareholders, customers and society."

A replay of today's webcast presentations and the question and answer session can be found at the Investor Center of the company's website at http://www.dupont.com/.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by DuPont, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance; seasonality of sales of agricultural products; and severe weather events that cause business interruptions, including plant and power outages, or disruptions in supplier and customer operations.

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont(TM), The miracles of science(TM), DuPont Applied BioSciences(TM), Bio-PDO(TM), ActaMax(TM), Sorona(R) and Cerenol(TM) are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.