Friday September 29, 7:01 am Eastern Time
Press Release
InterMune Announces Publication of American
Thoracic Society Monograph On the Management of
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Click here to view ``New Approaches to Managing Idiopathic
Pulmonary Fibrosis'' at media.corporate-ir.net
BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 29, 2000-- InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ITMN - news)
announced today the release of ``New Approaches to Managing Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis,'' an educational monograph
published by the American Thoracic Society (ATS). The monograph, which was developed from the proceedings of an ATS
advisory panel held earlier this year and chaired by Talmadge King, M.D., Chief of Medical Services at San Francisco General
Hospital, reviews advances in the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It is published as part of the
ATS Continuing Education Monograph Series and will be distributed to the 13,000 members of the ATS.
The monograph reviews interferon gamma-1b, the active ingredient in InterMune's drug ACTIMMUNE®, in ``Interferon
Gamma-1b in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Reanalysis of a Published Study,'' authored by Ganesh Raghu, M.D., University
of Washington; Kevin Brown, M.D., National Jewish Medical and Research Center; Paul Wesley Noble, M.D., Yale
University; and Thomas V. Colby, M.D., Mayo Clinic. The authors report the results of a reanalysis of a recent Phase II trial
using interferon gamma-1b for the treatment of IPF. The results of the Phase II trial were originally published in the October
1999 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The trial showed that lung function improved in patients treated with
interferon gamma-1b plus prednisolone and worsened in patients treated with prednisolone only. The reanalysis confirmed
these findings.
``This monograph will serve as an important educational tool and resource for pulmonary physicians who face the challenges of
treating patients with IPF,'' stated W. Scott Harkonen, M.D., InterMune's CEO and President. ``In addition, it is very
encouraging to have the promising results of the Phase II trial independently corroborated by members of the ATS. We are
moving aggressively forward with our plans for a Phase III pivotal trial for ACTIMMUNE® for the treatment of IPF.''
IPF is a life-threatening disease characterized by progressive scarring, or fibrosis of the lungs, which leads to their deterioration
and destruction. The prognosis is poor for patients with IPF and the median life span is three to five years from the time of
diagnosis. IPF occurs primarily in persons 40 to 70 years old. InterMune believes that there are approximately 50,000 patients
in the United States with this disease and that IPF represents a maximum annual market opportunity of approximately $2.5
billion. Interferon gamma-1b is the first and only drug to have shown promise in the treatment of IPF in a Phase II clinical trial.
InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of
innovative products for the treatment of serious pulmonary, infectious and congenital diseases. InterMune currently markets
ACTIMMUNE® (Interferon gamma-1b) Injection in the United States for the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease
(CGD) and severe, malignant osteopetrosis. For more information about InterMune and ACTIMMUNE®, please visit
InterMune's web sites at www.intermune.com and www.actimmune.com, or send e-mail to ir@intermune.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains certain forward-looking statements, concerning
the possible benefits of interferon gamma for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that involve risks and uncertainties. All
forward-looking statements and other information included in this press release are based on information available to InterMune
as of the date hereof, and InterMune assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements or information.
InterMune's actual results could differ materially from those described in InterMune's forward-looking statements. Factors that
could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to the following: even if InterMune's potential
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis products appear promising at an early stage of development, they may not reach the market for a
number of reasons. Such reasons include, but are not limited to, the possibilities that the potential products will be found
ineffective during clinical trials, fail to receive the necessary regulatory approvals, be difficult to manufacture on a large scale, be
uneconomical to market, be precluded from commercialization by the proprietary rights of third parties or fail to be as safe or
effective and/or will cost more than competitors' IPF products. Other factors that could cause or contribute to such differences
include, but are not limited to those discussed under the heading ``Risk Factors'' and the risks and factors discussed in
InterMune's Registration Statement on Form S-1, declared effective on September 20, 2000 by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (File No. 333-45460), and InterMune's most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC. In sum, these significant risks
include, but are not limited to: the success of InterMune's efforts in research, development, commercialization, product
acceptance, third-party manufacturing and capital raising; product liability lawsuits; uncertainties associated with: obtaining and
enforcing patents important to its business, being an early-stage company and relying on third-party payors' reimbursement
policies; the lengthy and expensive regulatory process and competition from other products.
Contact:
InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Tim Lynch, Chief Financial Officer, 650/409-2028
or
Burns McClellan
Jonathan M. Nugent (investors)
Justin Jackson (media)
212/213-0006 |
