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Biotech / Medical : Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: keokalani'nui who wrote (254)	1/6/2003 8:47:28 AM
From: nigel bates	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 824

CHESHIRE, Conn., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXN - News) today announced the execution of a large scale product supply agreement with Lonza Biologics for the long term commercial manufacture of its C5 complement inhibitor antibody, eculizumab. Alexion recently announced promising clinical results from clinical studies evaluating eculizumab treatment in membranous nephritis patients and patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Additionally, a Phase IIb clinical study is currently ongoing with eculizumab in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "We are pleased to conclude this very important agreement with one of the recognized leaders in the manufacture of antibodies," said David Keiser, President and Chief Operating Officer of Alexion. "We have collaborated with Lonza for several years now with respect to the production of eculizumab for use in our clinical trials and as we now gear our activities toward commercialization it was important to secure the manufacturing experience, expertise, state of the art facilities and capacity that Lonza is uniquely positioned to provide." "Lonza Biologics is extremely excited about this agreement with Alexion and appreciates the confidence Alexion has shown in Lonza by choosing us to provide market supply of eculizumab from our new large scale facility in Portsmouth, NH. We have been fortunate to have worked with Alexion on eculizumab from its early development to current clinical trial supply and look forward to continuing this collaboration," said Markus Gemuend, CEO of Lonza Group. Lonza Biologics is a leading supplier of services to the Biopharmaceutical market. Lonza Biologics provides an extensive array of services spanning cell line construction to manufacture of "in market" licensed biotherapeutic drugs. Lonza Biologics is part of Swiss based Lonza Group (http://www.lonza.com). Lonza Group is a Life Sciences driven chemical company headquartered in Switzerland, with sales of CHF 2.5 billion in 2001 and operating 21 production and R&D facilities in 9 countries. It employs 6,400 people worldwide and is the leading supplier of active chemical ingredients, intermediates and biotechnology solutions to the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. It also offers a broad catalogue of organic intermediates for a wide range of applications such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, vitamins, food and feedstuff, dyes and pigments, adhesives and fragrances. Furthermore the Group manufactures specialty biocides and oleochemicals and develops and produces specific polymer intermediates, unsaturated polyester-resins, compounds and composites. For more information on Lonza Group please visit the company's website at lonzagroup.com.