CHIR Chiron (MM)

Chiron Acquires Prion Solutions Inc. Agreement Enhances Company's Commitment to Safeguard the Blood Supply EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chiron Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIR) today announced that it had acquired Prion Solutions Inc., a privately held company based in La Jolla, Calif., focused on research into variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and other prion-related diseases. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. "At Chiron we have been working for some time on a vCJD program and have made significant breakthroughs. The technology developed by Prion Solutions complements our program and will advance the development of a highly sensitive and specific test to screen blood donations for vCJD, which is believed to be transmissible through blood," said Jack Goldstein, president, Chiron Blood Testing. "Because of the threat of vCJD, specific donor deferral standards have been introduced throughout the world, putting additional pressure on an already fragile blood supply. A sensitive and specific assay for vCJD would be an important breakthrough in blood safety." "We're pleased that Chiron will be working to develop this technology further," said Anthony Williamson, CFO and Chief Scientific Officer of Prion Solutions. "A sensitive assay for vCJD would implement innovative science to protect people and would fill an important medical need." Prion Solutions holds exclusive rights from Scripps Research Institute to an antibody that recognizes the disease-specific form of the cellular prion protein. The technology from Prion Solutions complements Chiron's existing research on prions, which has been successful in identifying several classes of reagents that bind specifically to the disease-related form of prions and are useful for development of a blood-screening assay. About vCJD Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a slow, progressive disease of the central nervous system, characterized by dementia and involuntary muscle contractions, that is believed to be caused by an infectious prion, a protein particle. More than 150 cases of vCJD have been recorded in Europe and have been linked to eating or contact with cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease. Two cases have been reported to date in the United Kingdom, where blood from a donor who was later identified to have vCJD was transfused to a patient who has subsequently developed vCJD. The cases suggest the possibility that vCJD may be transmitted through transfusion. About Chiron Blood Testing Chiron Blood Testing is dedicated to preventing the spread of infectious diseases through the development of novel blood-screening tools that protect the world's blood supply. Chiron's Procleix(R) assays and systems, developed in collaboration with Gen-Probe Incorporated, utilize state-of-the-art nucleic acid testing (NAT) technology to detect RNA and DNA in donated blood, plasma, organs and tissue during the very early stages of infection, when infectious agents are present but cannot be detected by immunodiagnostic screening technologies. Through its joint business with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Chiron also develops and markets a line of immunoassay screening, diagnostic, and supplemental hepatitis and retrovirus tests. For more information, please visit http://www.ebloodbank.com/. About Chiron Through its global Blood Testing, Vaccines and BioPharmaceuticals businesses, Chiron Corporation addresses human suffering with more than 50 diverse products to detect, prevent and treat disease worldwide. The company's consistent success has come from its pioneering science, skill in delivering innovations in biotechnology and disciplined business approach. Chiron believes that science has the power to improve people's lives and harnesses that power to transform public health. For more information about Chiron, please visit http://www.chiron.com/. This year, Chiron Vaccines celebrates 100 years of advancing medicine with the anniversary of two founding companies. In 1904, Emil von Behring and Achille Sclavo independently started companies in Germany and Italy, respectively, dedicated to the research, development and manufacture of vaccines to protect humanity from infectious disease. As the fifth-largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, Chiron remains dedicated to the legacies of von Behring and Sclavo to prevent disease and develop new vaccines to improve human health globally. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding sales growth, product development initiatives, new product indications, new product marketing, acquisitions, and in- and out-licensing activities 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-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and the form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2004, 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 the outcome of clinical trials, regulatory review and approvals, 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. There can be no assurance that Chiron's out-licensing activities will generate significant revenue, nor that its in-licensing activities will fully protect it from claims of infringement by third parties. In addition, the company may engage in business opportunities, the successful completion of which are subject to certain risks, including shareholder and regulatory approvals and the integration of operations. Consistent with SEC Regulation FD, we do not undertake an obligation to update the forward-looking information we are giving today. NOTE: Procleix is a trademark of Chiron Corporation. DATASOURCE: Chiron Corporation CONTACT: Chiron Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Media, +1-510-923-6500, or Investors, +1-510-923-2300 Web site: http://www.chiron.com/

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