Exhibit 10.23 UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTY November 18, 1998 Chrysalis International Corporation Chrysalis International Preclinical Services Corporation Chrysalis DNX Transgenic Sciences Corporation Chrysalis International Clinical Services Corporation (Individually and collectively "Borrower") Phoenix International Life Sciences Inc. ("Guarantor") First Union National Bank ("Bank") 123 South Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19109 To induce Bank to continue in financing arrangements with Borrower and to grant forbearance to Borrower pursuant to that certain Forbearance Agreement of even date herewith between Borrower and Bank (the "Forbearance Agreement), Guarantor hereby absolutely, irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to Bank and its successors, assigns and affiliates the timely payment and performance of all liabilities and obligations of Borrower to Bank and its affiliates, including, but not limited to, all obligations under any notes, loan agreements, security agreements, letters of credit, instruments, accounts receivable, contracts, drafts, leases, chattel paper, indemnities, acceptances, repurchase agreements, overdrafts, and the Loan Documents defined below, however and whenever incurred or evidenced, whether primary, secondary, direct, indirect, absolute, contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter contracted or acquired, and all modifications, extensions or renewals thereof, including without limitation all principal, interest, charges, and costs and expenses incurred thereunder (including attorneys' fees and other costs of collection incurred, regardless of whether suit is commenced) (collectively, the "Guaranteed Obligations"). Guarantor further covenants and agrees: GUARANTOR'S LIABILITY. This Guaranty is a continuing and unconditional guaranty of payment and performance and not of collection. The parties to this Guaranty are jointly and severally obligated hereunder. This Guaranty does not impose any obligation on Bank to extend or continue to extend credit or otherwise deal with Borrower at any subsequent time. This Guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any payment of the Guaranteed Obligations is rescinded, avoided or for any other reason must be returned by Bank, and the returned payment shall remain payable as part of the Guaranteed Obligations, all as though such payment had not been made. Except to the extent the provisions of this Guaranty give the Bank additional rights, this Guaranty shall not be deemed to supersede or replace any other guaranties given to Bank by Guarantor; and the obligations guaranteed hereby shall be in addition to any other obligations guaranteed by Guarantor pursuant to any other agreement of guaranty given to Bank and other guaranties of the Guaranteed Obligations. TERMINATION OF GUARANTY. Guarantor may terminate this Guaranty by written notice, delivered personally to or received by certified or registered United States Mail by an authorized officer of the Bank at the address for notices provided herein. Such termination shall be effective with respect to Guaranteed Obligations arising more than 15 days after the date such written notice is received by said Bank officer. Guarantor may not terminate this Guaranty as to Guaranteed Obligations (including any subsequent extensions, modifications or compromises of the Guaranteed Obligations) then existing. Termination of this Guaranty by any single Guarantor will not affect the existing and continuing obligations of any other guarantor hereunder. APPLICATION OF PAYMENTS. Monies received from any source by Bank for application toward payment of the Guaranteed Obligations may be applied to such Guaranteed Obligations in any manner or order deemed appropriate by Bank. CONSENT TO MODIFICATIONS. Guarantor CONSENTS AND AGREES THAT BANK MAY FROM TIME TO TIME, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, WITHOUT AFFECTING, IMPAIRING, LESSENING OR RELEASING THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE GUARANTOR HEREUNDER: permit any change in the business or other dealings and relations of Borrower or any other guarantor with Bank, all in such manner and upon such terms as Bank may deem appropriate, and without notice to or further consent from Guarantor. No invalidity, irregularity, discharge or unenforceability of, or action or omission by Bank relating to any part of, the Guaranteed Obligations or any security therefor shall affect or impair this Guaranty. WAIVERS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Guarantor WAIVES AND RELEASES THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS, DEMANDS, AND DEFENSES Guarantor may have with respect to Bank and collection of the Guaranteed Obligations: (a) promptness and diligence in collection of any of the Guaranteed Obligations from Borrower or any other person liable thereon, and in foreclosure of any security interest and sale of any property serving as collateral for the Guaranteed Obligations; (b) any law or statute that requires that Bank make demand upon, assert claims against, or collect from Borrower or other persons or entities, foreclose any security interest, sell collateral, exhaust any remedies, or take any other action against Borrower or other persons or entities prior to making demand upon, collecting from or taking action against Guarantor with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations; (c) any law or statute that requires that Borrower or any other person be joined in, notified of or made part of any action against Guarantor; (d) that Bank preserve insure or perfect any security interest in collateral or sell or dispose of collateral in a particular manner or at a particular time; (e) notice of any new transactions or other relationships between Bank, Borrower and/or any guarantor, and of changes in the financial condition of, ownership of, or business structure of Borrower or any other guarantor; (f) presentment, protest, notice of dishonor, notice of default, demand for payment, notice of intention to accelerate maturity, notice of acceleration of maturity, notice of sale, and all other notices of any kind whatsoever; (g) the right to assert against Bank any defense (legal or equitable), set-off, counterclaim, or claim that Guarantor may have at any time against Borrower or any other party liable to Bank; (h) all defenses relating to invalidity, insufficiency, unenforceability, enforcement, release or impairment of Bank's lien on any collateral, of the Loan Documents, or of any other guaranties held by Bank; (i) any claim or defense that acceleration of maturity of the Guaranteed Obligations is stayed against Guarantor because of the stay of assertion or of acceleration of claims against any other person or entity for any reason including the bankruptcy or insolvency of that person or entity; and (j) the benefit of any exemption claimed by Guarantor. Guarantor acknowledges and represents that it has relied upon its own due diligence in making its own independent appraisal of Borrower, Borrower's business affairs and financial condition, and any collateral; Guarantor will continue to be responsible for making its own independent appraisal of such matters; and Guarantor has not relied upon and will not hereafter rely upon Bank for information regarding Borrower or any collateral. FINANCIAL CONDITION. Guarantor warrants, represents and covenants to Bank that on and after the date hereof: (a) the fair saleable value of Guarantor's assets exceeds its liabilities, Guarantor is meeting its current liabilities as they mature, and Guarantor is and shall remain solvent; (b) all financial statements of Guarantor furnished to Bank are correct and accurately reflect the financial condition of Guarantor as of the respective dates thereof; (c) since the date of such financial statements, there has not occurred a material adverse change in the financial condition of Guarantor; (d) there are not now pending any court or administrative proceedings or undischarged judgments against Guarantor, no federal or state tax liens have been filed or threatened against Guarantor, and Guarantor is not in default or claimed default under any agreement; and (e) at such reasonable times as Bank requests, Guarantor will furnish Bank with such financial information as Guarantor makes available to its shareholders, generally. INTEREST. Regardless of any other provision of this Guaranty or other Loan Documents, if for any reason the effective interest on any of the Guaranteed Obligations should exceed the maximum lawful interest, the effective interest shall be deemed reduced to and shall be such maximum lawful interest, and any sums of interest which have been collected in excess of such maximum lawful interest shall be applied as a credit against the unpaid principal balance of the Guaranteed Obligations. DEFAULT. If any of the following events occur, a default ("Default") under this Guaranty shall exist: (a) Failure of timely payment or performance of the Guaranteed Obligations or a default under any Loan Document; (b) A breach of any agreement or representation contained or referred to in the Guaranty, or any of the Loan Documents, or contained in any other contract or agreement of Guarantor with Bank or its affiliates, whether now existing or hereafter arising; (c) The death of, appointment of a guardian for, dissolution of, termination of existence of, loss of good standing status by, appointment of a receiver for, assignment for the benefit of creditors of, or the commencement of any insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding by or against, Guarantor or any general partner of or the holder(s) of the majority ownership interests of Guarantor; (d) the occurrence of a Terminating Event under the Forbearance Agreement; and/or (e) The entry of any monetary judgment or the assessment against, the filing of any tax lien against, or the issuance of any writ of garnishment or attachment against any property of or debts due Guarantor. If a Default occurs, the Guaranteed Obligations shall be due immediately and payable without notice. Guarantor shall pay interest on the Guaranteed Obligations from such Default at the highest rate of interest charged on any of the Guaranteed Obligations, subject to the Pledge Agreement. ATTORNEY'S FEES AND OTHER COSTS OF COLLECTION. Guarantor shall pay all of Bank's reasonable expenses incurred to enforce or collect any of the Guaranteed Obligations, including, without limitation, reasonable arbitration, paralegals', attorneys' and experts' fees and expenses, whether incurred without the commencement of a suit, in any suit, arbitration, or administrative proceeding, or in any appellate or bankruptcy proceeding. MISCELLANEOUS. (a) ASSIGNMENT. This Guaranty and other Loan Documents shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns. Bank shall not, without the prior written consent of Guarantor, assign this Guaranty, the Pledge and Assignment and Agreement, or Bank's interest in the Loan Documents, or any collateral securing the Loan Documents. (b) APPLICABLE LAW; CONFLICT BETWEEN DOCUMENTS. This Guaranty and other Loan Documents shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the state named in Bank's address shown above without regard to that state's conflict of laws principles. If the terms of this Guaranty should conflict with the terms of any commitment letter that survives closing, the terms of this Guaranty shall control. (c) JURISDICTION. Guarantor irrevocably agrees to non-exclusive personal jurisdiction in the state named in Bank's address shown above. (d) SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Guaranty or of the other Loan Documents shall be prohibited or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective but only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Guaranty or other document. (e) NOTICES. Any notices to Guarantor shall be sufficiently given, if in writing and mailed or delivered to the Guarantor's address shown above or such other address as provided hereunder, and to Bank, if in writing and mailed or delivered to Bank's office address shown above or such other address as Bank may specify in writing from time to time. In the event that Guarantor changes Guarantor's address at any time prior to the date the Guaranteed Obligations are paid in full, Guarantor agrees to promptly give written notice of said change of address by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, all charges prepaid. (f) PLURAL; CAPTIONS. All references in the Loan Documents to borrower, guarantor, person, document or other nouns of reference mean both the singular and plural form, as the case may be, and the term "person" shall mean any individual, person or entity. The captions contained in the Loan Documents are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of the Loan Documents. (g) BINDING CONTRACT. Guarantor by execution of and Bank by acceptance of this Guaranty agree that each party is bound to all terms and provisions of this Guaranty. (h) AMENDMENTS, WAIVERS AND REMEDIES. No waivers, amendments or modifications of this Guaranty and other Loan Documents shall be valid unless in writing and signed by an officer of Bank and Guarantor. No waiver by Bank of any Default shall operate as a waiver of any other Default or the same Default on a future occasion. Neither the failure nor any delay on the part of Bank in exercising any right, power, or privilege granted pursuant to this Guaranty and other Loan Documents shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. All remedies available to Bank with respect to this Guaranty and other Loan Documents and remedies available at law or in equity shall be cumulative and may be pursued concurrently or successively. (i) PARTNERSHIPS. If Guarantor is a partnership, the obligations, liabilities and agreements on the part of Guarantor shall remain in full force and effect an fully applicable notwithstanding any changes in the individuals comprising the partnership. The term "Guarantor" includes any altered or successive partnerships, and predecessor partnership(s) and the partners shall not be released from any obligations or liabilities hereunder. (j) LOAN DOCUMENTS. The term "Loan Documents" refers to all documents executed by Borrower in favor of Bank including, but not limited to, documents identified in the Forbearance Agreement, and includes the Forbearance Agreement SECURITY; NO RECOURSE. Guarantor has granted Bank a security interest in the collateral (the "Collateral") described in that certain Pledge and Assignment Agreement of even date herewith (the "Pledge Agreement"). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, Bank's recourse against Guarantor upon the occurrence of a Default shall be limited to the Collateral and Bank's other remedies set forth in the Pledge Agreement. Guarantor shall not be responsible for the value of the Collateral afte its pledge to Bank. Bank shall not assert or commence any legal or equitable proceeding before any court, agency or other body against Guarantor on account of this Guaranty. Guarantor shall have no liability to Bank under this Guaranty, except to the extent of Guarantor's interest in the Collateral. Notwithstanding Bank's agreement to limit recourse against the Guarantor to the Collateral, in the event Guarantor disputes its liabilities and obligations under this Guaranty and/or the Pledge Agreement, and/or opposes any application of the Collateral to the Guaranty Obligations, in the event Bank prevails in any such dispute, Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that Guarantor shall be liable to Bank for repayment of Bank's reasonable fees and expenses (including attorneys' fees and disbursements) incurred in connection with any such dispute or opposition, and the obligation in respect of such expenses shall be a full recourse obligation of Guarantor. ARBITRATION. Upon demand of any party hereto, whether made before or after institution of any judicial proceeding, any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the Loan Documents between parties hereto (a "Dispute") shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted under and governed by the Commercial Financial Disputes Arbitration Rules (the "Arbitration Rules") of the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA") and the Federal Arbitration Act. Disputes may include, without limitation, tort claims, counterclaims, a dispute as to whether a matter is subject to arbitration, claims brought as class actions, or claims arising from documents executed in the future. A judgment upon the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this arbitration provision does not apply to disputes under or related to swap agreements. SPECIAL RULES. All arbitration hearings shall be conducted in the city named in the address of Bank first stated above. A hearing shall begin within 90 days of demand for arbitration and all hearings shall conclude within 120 days of demand for arbitration. These time limitations may not be extended unless a party shows cause for extension and then for no more than a total of 60 days. The expedited procedures set forth in Rule 51 ET SEQ. of the Arbitration Rules shall be applicable to claims of less than $1,000,000.00. Arbitrators shall be licensed attorneys selected from the Commercial Financial Dispute Arbitration Panel of the AAA. The parties do not waive applicable Federal or state substantive law except as provided herein. PRESERVATION AND LIMITATION OF REMEDIES. Notwithstanding the preceding binding arbitration provisions, the parties agree to preserve, without diminution, certain remedies that any party may exercise before or after an arbitration proceeding is brought. The parties shall have the right to proceed in any court of proper jurisdiction or by self-help to exercise or prosecute the following remedies, as applicable: (i) all rights to foreclose against any real or personal property or other security by exercising a power of sale or under applicable law by judicial foreclosure including a proceeding to confirm the sale; (ii) all rights of self-help including peaceful occupation of real property and collection of rents, set-off, and peaceful possession of personal property; (iii) obtaining provisional or ancillary remedies including injunctive relief, sequestration, garnishment, attachment, appointment of receiver and filing an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding; and (iv) when applicable, a judgment by confession of judgment. Any claim or controversy with regard to any party's entitlement to such remedies is a Dispute. The parties agree that they shall not have a remedy of punitive or exemplary damages against other parties in any Dispute and hereby waive any right or claim to punitive or exemplary damages they have now or which may arise in the future in connection with any Dispute whether the Dispute is resolved by arbitration or judicially. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY AGREEING TO BINDING ARBITRATION THEY HAVE IRREVOCABLY WAIVED ANY RIGHT THEY MAY HAVE TO JURY TRIAL WITH REGARD TO A DISPUTE. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Guarantor, on the day and year first written above, has caused this Unconditional Guaranty to be executed under seal. PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES INC. CORPORATE By: /s/ Jean-Yves Caloz SEAL --------------------------------------------------- Name: Jean-Yves Caloz Title: Senior Vice President and Secretary