GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED - Regulatory Filings 2003

April $17^{\text{th}}$ , 2003

The Manager Company Announcements Office Australian Stock Exchange Limited Exchange Centre 20 Bridge Street Sydney NSW 2000

Dear Sir.

Genetic Susceptibility Testing - A Second Progress Report

Genetic Technologies Limited ("GTG"), has previously announced its commitment to bring comprehensive genetic susceptibility testing to Australia, including susceptibility testing for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, bowel cancer and melanoma and progressively. for other non-cancerous genetic diseases.

In October 2002, GTG and Myriad Genetics of USA announced they had formed a strategic alliance to combine the power of their respective technologies and patents, to be able to bring comprehensive cancer susceptibility testing to the market world-wide, with GTG making such tests available in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, and Myriad offering such tests to the rest of the world.

I am now pleased to report that Professor Deon Venter has been invited to join the Board of GTG, with special responsibility to oversee the establishment and operation of the new genetic susceptibility testing program. Professor Venter is also Head of the Cancer Functional Genomics Laboratory at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, and Head of the Cancer Epidemiology Program, Department of Pathology at the University of Melbourne. He is also a specialist pathologist, a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and the author of more than 80 papers on the genetics of cancer.

I am also pleased to report that Dr. Frank Firgaira has now joined GTG as Head of Molecular Diagnostics and to manage the new Genetic Susceptibility Testing service now being established at GTG's main laboratory in Melbourne. Dr. Firgaira has over 25 years experience in the field of human genetic disease diagnosis and research. Over the past 16 years, he established and headed the Genetic Pathology Laboratory at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia, one of the earliest laboratories in Australia to receive NATA accreditation in medical genetic testing. In 2002, Dr. Firgaira was made a Fellow of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (FHGSA) and he is one of only a handful of scientists and specialist pathologists in Australia, to receive formal accreditation in Molecular Genetics. Dr. Firgaira has published numerous scientific papers on the genetic basis of disease.

Our plans to establish this landmark service in Australia are now proceeding smoothly. Last month, Professor Venter and I visited Myriad in Salt Lake City, Utah, to discuss next steps in the strategic alliance, and in particular, the details of the laboratory requirements for the new Australian facility being established by GTG. Next week, Dr. Firgaira will also visit Myriad to follow-up the implementation of these plans.

Meanwhile, new equipment is being shipped from overseas to Melbourne and new employees are being hired and it is anticipated that testing will commence within weeks.

GTG is pleased to note the growing expressions of support for this ambitious program, now coming from leading scientists, health departments, and members of the community generally.

Once again, all parties who have an interest in this field are invited to contact GTG and to work with us - with the ultimate objective being, to help improve the health and quality of life of the Australian community.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Mervyn Jacobson Executive Chairman

Genetic Technologies Limited . Website: www.gtg.com.au . Email: [email protected] ABN 17 009 212 328 Registered Office and Main Laboratory . 60-66 Hanover Street Fitzroy VIC 3065 Australia -Postal Address P.O. Box 115 Fitzroy Victoria 3065 Australia Phone 61 3 9415 1135 · Fax 61 3 9417 2987 Corporate Office · Level 9, 185 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Phone 61 2 9233 5015 - Fax 61 2 9232 5313