AMED Amedeo Res

RNS No 7200p
CELLTECH CHIROSCIENCE PLC
9 August 1999


CELLTECH CHIROSCIENCE ANNOUNCES
FDA APPROVAL OF CHIROCAINE (R)

Celltech Chiroscience plc and Chiroscience Group plc have received notice
from the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") of the approval of the New
Drug Application to market the long-acting local anaesthetic, Chirocaine.

On 15th June 1999 Chiroscience announced that the rights to Chirocaine for
the US market had been licensed to Purdue Pharma L.P. in return for an equal
share of the future profits in that territory.  The FDA issued an approvable
letter for Chirocaine earlier this year. Chiroscience and Purdue worked
closely with the FDA to reach agreement on the final package insert and
product labelling.

Dr Peter Fellner, CEO of Celltech Chiroscience plc, commented "The approval
of Chirocaine is a great achievement for the management and staff of
Chiroscience, and a milestone for the UK biopharmaceutical sector as a whole.
We are delighted with this important progress so soon after the merger of
Celltech and Chiroscience became wholly unconditional. We will continue to
work with Purdue towards a successful launch of the product."

Mr Michael Friedman, Group Vice President of Purdue Pharma L.P., commented

"The FDA have moved extremely efficiently to process the approval of
Chirocaine so rapidly. Our sales force training and product launch plans are
being implemented. We plan to launch Chirocaine in the near future and look
forward to adding this key product to our robust portfolio of pain management
medications".

Purdue Pharma L.P. is one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in
the U.S. with sales growth of 46 per cent in 1998 bringing total sales to
$600 million. Purdue's sales and marketing resources have expanded rapidly in
recent years and now comprise a 696 person field sales organisation calling
on primary care, speciality, and hospital-based physicians, with speciality
sales teams covering managed care and the nursing home/hospice sector.

Chirocaine is licensed to Abbott International for all territories other than
the US and Japan and the Group is continuing to assist Abbott in progressing
the registration and launch of Chirocaine in those territories. The EU mutual
recognition procedure, whereby product licences are sought throughout the EU
territory based on the approval of the drug in the Reference Member State
Sweden, is proceeding in line with plans. The licensee for the product in the
Japanese market, Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd., is progressing with the
product's development and registration in Japan.

Enquiries:

Celltech Chiroscience plc
Dr. Peter Fellner, Chief Executive Officer           Tel: +44(0) 1753 534655
Peter Allen, Chief Operating Officer
Christine Soden, Chief Financial Officer             Tel: +44(0) 1223 420430
David Dible, Head of Media and Investor Relations

Brunswick
Katharine Sharkey                                    Tel: +44(0) 171 404 5959

Notes to Editors

*  Celltech Chiroscience plc - The merger of Celltech plc and Chiroscience
Group plc was declared wholly unconditional on 3rd August 1999. The Merger
has created one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in Europe, with a
broad and innovative new product portfolio and outstanding drug discovery and
development capabilities. The Group has over 400 research and development
staff and current combined annual research and development expenditure of
some #51 million.

*  Chirocaine (R) - Chirocaine is the trade name for levobupivacaine, the
long-acting local anaesthetic developed by Chiroscience for use in a wide
range of surgical procedures, as well as in pain relief during childbirth and
in pain management following surgery.

*  Approval is being sought for the widespread usage of Chirocaine in local,
regional, epidural and spinal anaesthesia; for surgical and obstetric
procedures, and as an epidural infusion for post-surgical and intractable
pain.  In addition, approval is sought for use alone or in combination with
morphine, fentanyl or clonidine, and with appropriate dosage requirements for
use in children.

*  Chirocaine is a new drug derived from the established anaesthetic
bupivacaine.  Pre-clinical studies have shown that Chirocaine is as potent as
bupivacaine, but has a superior safety profile in its action on the heart and
central nervous system.  Its efficacy and safety profiles have been confirmed
in over 25 clinical trials which have been completed in the UK, USA,
Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and The Netherlands.

*  Chirocaine was developed in response to the growing demand for local
anaesthetic procedures.  The number of surgical procedures carried out using
long acting local anaesthetics is predicted to increase from 45 million
worldwide in to around 80 million in 10 years. This increase is being driven
by a growth in surgery and pain management (acute and chronic).  When
compared to general anaesthesia, local anaesthesia has the potential for
improved patient outcome as it is faster, providing a less painful recovery,
minimising hospital costs by reducing hospital stays and decreasing the risk
of post-operative infection.

*  Purdue Pharma L.P., headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. and its
associated companies, including the Mundipharma companies and Napp
Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd., comprise a privately-held, worldwide
pharmaceutical network with discovery, development, manufacturing, marketing
and distribution capabilities.  The companies maintain a leading presence in
the field of pain management with their products OxyContin (R), (oxycodone
hydrochloride controlled-release) tablets and MS Contin (R) (morphine sulfate
controlled-release) tablets.  The network also includes a biologic
therapeutics business, Purdue BioPharma L.P., based in Princeton, New Jersey,
which is focused on the development of antibody-based therapeutics and
vaccines.


END




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