Van Kimmenaede, who joined Organon in 1986, served as general manager in the UK and in senior management roles in global marketing and manufacturing in Italy, the Netherlands and most recently in New Jersey, USA.  On January 1, 2007, he began his role as President of Diosynth Biotechnology, a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing unit of Organon.  Van Kimmenaede is based at the Diosynth Biotechnology headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina adjacent to its biologics manufacturing facility. 

Commenting on the appointment, Van Kimmenaede said: "I am very much looking forward to the challenge of taking Diosynth Biotechnology in RTP forward".  "Our ability to combine technical excellence, reliable execution and collaborative approach as a strategic CMC partner, provides a clear and well-articulated value proposition for our customers."

For more information contact:

Mr. Rob Gustines

Director, Marketing & Business Alliances

Ph: +1-919-337-4425

Email: rob.gustines@diosynth-rtp.com

Diosynth Biotechnology

Diosynth Biotechnology is the Organon third-party contract manufacturing services unit for biopharmaceuticals.  The company has an 80-year heritage in biologics manufacturing and is a global leader in technology-driven process development and cGMP manufacturing of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies and peptides.  We help our customers succeed by developing robust, scalable processes and by driving products efficiently, rapidly and cost-effectively from preclinical development to market supply.  Our FDA-, Health Canada- and EMEA-inspected cGMP manufacturing facilities in Research Triangle Park, NC USA, and Oss, the Netherlands serve pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers worldwide.  For more information: http://www.diosynthbiotechnology.com/

Diosynth Safe Harbor Statement*

This press release may contain statements which address such key issues as the Akzo Nobel growth strategy, future financial results, market positions, product development, pharmaceutical products in the pipeline, and product approvals. Such statements, including but not limited to the "Outlook", should be carefully considered and it should be understood that many factors could cause forecasted and actual results to differ from these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, price fluctuations, currency fluctuations, developments in raw material and personnel costs, pensions, physical and environmental risks, legal issues, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. These factors also include changes in regulations or interpretations related to the implementation and reporting under IFRS, decisions to apply a different option of presentation permitted by IFRS, and various other factors related to the implementation of IFRS, including the implementation of IAS 32 and 39 for financial instruments. Stated competitive positions are based on management estimates supported by information provided by specialized external agencies. For a more complete discussion of the risk factors affecting our business please refer to the Akzo Nobel Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, a copy of which can be found on the Akzo Nobel website.

* Pursuant to the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act 1995.