(BW) BioChem Pharma Announces U.S. FDA Clearance of Combivir, the First Tablet to Combine Two Anti-HIV Drugs, Including 3TC

(BW) BioChem Pharma Announces U.S. FDA Clearance of Combivir, the First Tablet to Combine Two Anti-HIV Drugs, Including 3TC

BUSINESS WIRE - 44 Montgomery St, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; Tel: (415) 986-4422; FAX: (415) 788-5335 - Monday September 29 9:40 AM EDT

LAVAL, Quebec--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 1997--BIOCHEM PHARMA(ME, TSE:BCH., NASDAQ:BCHE.) BioChem Pharma Inc. announced today that its licensee Glaxo Wellcome Inc. has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Combivir, the first product to combine two anti-retroviral drugs in a single tablet formulation.

Each tablet of Combivir contains 3TC(R)/Epivir(TM) (150mg lamivudine; 3TC) and Retrovir (300mg zidovudine; AZT). One tablet can be taken twice daily, offering the advantage of reducing by up to six tablets per day the number of tablets a person on an Epivir/Retrovir based treatment regimen needs to take. In the United States, individuals currently treated with Epivir + Retrovir as part of a multiple drug combination regimen take either one 150mg tablet of Epivir twice a day and two 100mg capsules of Retrovir three times a day (for a total of 8 tablets a day), or one 150mg tablet of Epivir twice a day and one 300mg tablet of Retrovir twice a day (for a total of 4 tablets a day).

Individuals treated for HIV infection with combination drug regimens can take as many as 20 tablets per day. The likelihood of adherence to a prescribed therapy is less when a regimen involves a high number of tablets and/or a high frequency of dosing. Non- compliance to anti-HIV drug regimens may result in less than optimal anti-viral effects and importantly, in the emergence of drug-resistant virus.

3TC/Epivir was discovered by BioChem Pharma. Under the terms of a license agreement between BioChem Pharma and Glaxo Wellcome, BioChem receives royalties based on sales of 3TC. Under the agreement, Glaxo Wellcome has the right to develop, manufacture and sell 3TC worldwide, subject to special arrangements for Canada, where BioChem and Glaxo Wellcome have formed a partnership which commercializes 3TC.

BioChem Pharma is an international biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of innovative products for the prevention, detection and treatment of human diseases. The Company lists its common shares on the Montreal and Toronto exchanges and on the Nasdaq National Market.

BioChem Pharma news releases and other company information can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.biochem-pharma.com .

Contact: BioChem Pharma Inc. Christine Lennon, 514/978-7771 corpcom@biochem-pharma.com Michele Roy, 514/ 978-7771 corpcom@biochem-pharma.com

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