SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2012--Senomyx, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNMX), a company using proprietary taste science technologies to discover novel flavor ingredients for the food, beverage, and ingredient supply industries, announced today that the Company’s flavor modifiers for sucrose (S6973) and sucralose (S2383), and its bitter blockers (S6821 and S7958) have received positive determinations regarding safety from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The JECFA determinations allow immediate usage of new ingredients in many countries and also enable regulatory approvals in other countries around the world.

JECFA is an independent committee of international scientific experts that has been evaluating the safety of food additives and flavors since 1956. It is jointly administered by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations. JECFA performs safety assessments and provides advice to FAO, WHO, and the member countries of both organizations.

“The positive JECFA determinations for S6973, S2383, S6821 and S7958 are significant achievements for Senomyx,” said Kent Snyder, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “All four of these flavor modifiers, which were discovered and developed by Senomyx, have previously received Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) regulatory status in the U.S.”

The GRAS designation allows for commercialization in the U.S., as well as numerous additional countries, and it facilitates approval in much of the rest of the world. Other countries, particularly those that do not have independent regulatory approval systems, rely on JECFA to determine the safety of new food additives and flavors. Each of the Senomyx flavor modifiers under review by JECFA was determined to have no safety concerns based on current estimated dietary exposure. This allows them to be marketed in countries utilizing JECFA, unless product registration is required at the country level.

“From a practical perspective the approvals resulting from the JECFA safety determinations, along with the GRAS status, open many markets for S6973, S2383, S6821 and S7958. Notable exceptions are countries in the European Union and China, which have their own regulatory processes,” Snyder added.

S6973 is a sweet taste modifier that enables up to 50% reduction of sucrose (table sugar) in virtually all food categories and selected beverages. S2383 enables up to 75% reduction of the high-intensity sweetener sucralose and is applicable for use in all food and beverage product categories. Senomyx’s partner for these flavor ingredients, Firmenich, is currently conducting commercialization activities with S6973 in the Americas, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. Products incorporating S2383 are being marketed in North America and Latin America.

Senomyx’s S6821 and S7958 bitter blockers have demonstrated activity against numerous bitter tasting foods and beverages. A Senomyx partner is preparing for initial market launch of a retail product incorporating S6821 by the end of 2012.

“Senomyx is continuing our efforts to identify additional novel flavor modifiers that provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” Snyder stated. “The affirmative determinations by JECFA are an additional acknowledgement of the safety of our flavor ingredients.”

About Senomyx, Inc. (www.senomyx.com)

Senomyx is using proprietary taste science technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients. These include new flavors such as Savory Flavors and Cooling Flavors, as well as flavor modifiers such as Bitter Blockers and enhancers of Sweet and Salt tastes. Senomyx is also engaged in a new effort to discover and develop natural high-potency sweeteners. The Company has collaborative agreements with global food, beverage, and ingredient supply companies, some of which are currently marketing products that contain Senomyx’s flavor ingredients. Its corporate socially responsible activities are described on the Senomyx Cares blog at http://www.senomyx-csrblog.com/. For more information, please visit www.senomyx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the capabilities of Senomyx’s flavor modifiers; Senomyx’s ability, or Senomyx’s collaborators’ plans, to commercialize products incorporating Senomyx’s flavor modifiers in foods and beverages; and Senomyx’s efforts to identify additional novel flavor modifiers that may provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: Senomyx is dependent on its product discovery and development collaborators for all of Senomyx’s revenue; Senomyx is dependent on its current and any future product discovery and development collaborators to develop and commercialize any flavor ingredients Senomyx may discover; Senomyx may be unable to develop flavor ingredients useful for formulation into products; Senomyx or its collaborators may be unable to obtain and maintain the regulatory approval required for flavor ingredients to be incorporated into products that are sold; even if Senomyx or its collaborators receive a regulatory approval and incorporate Senomyx flavor ingredients into products, those products may never be commercially successful; and Senomyx’s ability to compete in the flavor ingredients market may decline if Senomyx does not adequately protect its proprietary technologies. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Senomyx’s most recently filed SEC documents, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings “Risks Related to Our Business” and “Risks Related to Our Industry.” All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Senomyx undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.