CHIR Chiron (MM)

Chiron Delivers Additional Fluvirin(R) Flu Vaccine Doses to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency Will Distribute 363,200 Doses To State and Local Health Authorities EMERYVILLE, Calif., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chiron Corporation today announced that it has delivered an additional 363,200 doses of Fluvirin(R) flu vaccine to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The additional doses, which HHS purchased from Chiron in mid-December, came from extra production material the company had after filling its regular orders. Chiron produced 38 million doses of Fluvirin for U.S. distribution for the 2003-2004 flu season, approximately 50 percent more than in the previous flu season. "Chiron is committed to collaborating with government health authorities to increase levels of flu vaccination and protect more people," said Howard Pien, Chiron's president and CEO. "For the 2004-2005 flu season, we expect to increase capacity and respond to market needs, producing approximately 50 million doses of Fluvirin, most of which will reach the United States." To deliver the Fluvirin doses to HHS, Chiron's Liverpool manufacturing facility took the extra production material through the final steps of the manufacturing process, including filling and packing the vials as well as quality inspection and release. HHS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with state and local health departments as well as physicians' groups and others to assess supply and distribute the doses to those areas most in need. "We're pleased to have been able to deliver these additional doses to provide protection to at-risk individuals," said John Lambert, president, Chiron Vaccines. "We are currently the second-largest supplier of flu vaccine worldwide, and we will continue to invest in our flu vaccines production capacity as well as our research and development efforts to help the CDC meet its 2010 target of 150 million flu vaccinations." In total for the 2003-2004 flu season, Chiron produced 75 million doses of its four brands of flu vaccine for the global market, with production in Liverpool, United Kingdom; Marburg, Germany; and Siena and Rosia, Italy. About 10 to 20 percent of the U.S. population contracts flu each year. Vaccination not only decreases the risk of illness for the vaccine recipient, but also helps prevent the spread of the flu virus and limits its role in the potential development of life-threatening complications. In an average year in the United States, flu kills 36,000 people, primarily in the over-65 population, and hospitalizes 114,000 people. About Flu and Chiron's Flu Vaccines Influenza (flu), a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus, affects the respiratory tract, often resulting in symptoms in the nose, throat and lungs, as well as fever, headache, tiredness and body aches. It can also lead to complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or sinus and ear infections or exacerbate chronic conditions. In the Northern Hemisphere, flu season typically begins in November and peaks between December and March. Flu vaccination provides protection from flu within about two weeks of administration and may last for as long as a year. The vaccine's high efficacy protects up to 80 percent of vaccinated people from contracting flu, and vaccinated people who do contract flu generally develop milder cases than unvaccinated people. Flu vaccines, the majority of which are made from inactivated (killed) flu strains, are updated each year to address changes in the viruses. People who are allergic to eggs, who have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past, or who have previously developed Guillain-Barre syndrome in the six weeks after receiving a flu vaccination should consult their doctors before receiving flu vaccination. Chiron Vaccines is the world's second-largest flu vaccines company, with four leading brands. Fluvirin(R) is a triple-antigen flu vaccine, approved for sale in more than two dozen countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and a number of countries in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere. Outside the United States, Chiron Vaccines markets Agrippal(R) S1, Begrivac(TM) and Fluad(R) flu vaccines. About Chiron Chiron Corporation, headquartered in Emeryville, California, is a global pharmaceutical company that leverages a diverse business model to develop and commercialize high-value products that make a difference in people's lives. The company has a strategic focus on cancer and infectious disease. Chiron applies its advanced understanding of the biology of cancer and infectious disease to develop products from its platforms in proteins, small molecules and vaccines. The company commercializes its products through three business units: BioPharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Blood Testing. For more information about Chiron, visit the company's website at http://www.chiron.com/. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding product development initiatives, capital investments, sales growth and new product marketing that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change. A full discussion of the company's operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect its business and future prospects, is contained in documents the company has filed with the SEC, including the form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, and the form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and will be contained in all subsequent periodic filings made with the SEC. These documents identify important factors that could cause the company's actual performance to differ from current expectations, including product development activities such as clinical trials, manufacturing capabilities, intellectual property protections and defenses, stock-price and interest-rate volatility, and marketing effectiveness. In particular, there can be no assurance that Chiron will increase sales of existing products, successfully develop and receive approval to market new products, or achieve market acceptance for such new products. Consistent with SEC Regulation FD, we do not undertake an obligation to update the forward-looking information we are giving today. NOTE: Fluvirin, Agrippal, Begrivac and Fluad are trademarks of Chiron Corporation. DATASOURCE: Chiron Corporation CONTACT: Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Chiron Corporation, media, +1-510-923-6500, or investors, +1-510-923-2300 Web site: http://www.chiron.com/

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