Ichor Medical Systems expands management team: David Slack joins as Vice President, Finance and Corporate Development.

SAN DIEGO, December 21, 2004 - Leading electroporation-based DNA drug development company, Ichor Medical Systems announced today expansion of its senior management team. The appointment of David Slack adds experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry business development. In this new position, David will report directly to Ichor's CEO, Bob Bernard.

Prior to joining Ichor, David played senior business development roles at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, and Isis Pharmaceuticals, most recently as Vice President of Business Development. David has also provided strategic management consulting services to a variety of lifescience and investment companies. He has led numerous technology and drug discovery as well as drug in- and out-licensing deals. He has been responsible for major strategic alliances, including the Aventis-Millennium and Isis-Eli Lilly strategic alliances - two of Recombinant Capital's "Breakthrough Alliance of the Year" winners over the past few years.

"As Ichor advances its programs in intramuscular gene delivery and establishes a pipeline of proprietary drug/delivery system products, David's leadership will help advance the company to the next stage of product development and commercialization," commented Ichor CEO, Bob Bernard. "In addition to his partnering experience, his access to the financial community will also help as we consider financing options."

"I am pleased and excited to join the Ichor team," commented David Slack. "My first exposure to electroporation-based DNA drug delivery came while at a major pharmaceutical company, and I recall the excitement that the results elicited. In Ichor's hands, the technology has advanced significantly and I believe it is now well positioned to enable the development of clinical products based on delivery of DNA vaccines and genes for therapeutic protein production. Patients will receive substantial benefit from this technology. I look forward to working with Bob and the Ichor team to convert the technical advances into business success."
About Ichor
Ichor Medical Systems, Inc. is a private company, founded to develop clinical products based on the in vivo application of electroporation. Ichor technology utilizes the application of electrical fields to safely enhance the intracellular uptake of therapeutic agents within a targeted region of tissue.

Ichor's research focus is the development of its platform electroporation technology for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and vaccines, including pharmaceutical compounds and nucleotide constructs. Ichor has developed methods and equipment suitable for laboratory and clinical investigation of electroporation as a means for delivering therapeutic agents. A portion of Ichor's work in this field has been supported by Federal grants under the SBIR program, awarded to Ichor by the National Institutes of Health.


This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including whether any product candidates will be shown to be safe and efficacious in clinical trials, the timing of clinical trials, whether Ichor or its collaborative partners will seek or gain approval to market any product candidates and whether revenues and expenditures will match expectations. Forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this release. The company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For additional information, contact Lacey Tichenor at Ichor (858) 550-2022 or visit www.ichorms.com.