EU Cites Hemispherx Patents as Precedent and Dominant 'Art' in Novel Hepatitis Treatments

Philadelphia (PROTEXT) - Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (Amex: HEB) today said its patents that are designated as novel treatments of hepatitis B and C have recently been singled out by the European patent office as a dominant "art" against these diseases. The claims were made by the Examiner of the European patent office when it was examining a group of new patent applications submitted by another multinational pharmaceutical company for the treatment of various forms of chronic hepatitis. The patents were owned by Beaufour Ipsen, a multinational pharmaceutical firm. In raising objections to the novelty and potential validity of the Beaufour patent applications, Hemispherx said the independent Examiners cited six different Hemispherx patents, each with distinct and unique content. These patents, in fact, are already issued and recognized in many parts of the world, including the European Union. The Hemispherx patents were cited by the Examiners more than 19 times as examples of prior art against the pending therapeutic hepatitis claims of Beaufour. The primary drug compound under examination, designated polyadenur(R), is derived from a class of normally occurring antiviral compounds, termed double- stranded RNAs. RNAs are part of the body's molecular information bank, which includes the related molecules, DNA, the cell's genetic material. Certain RNA molecules can trigger many viral infected cells (including liver cells, termed hepatocytes) to protect themselves by a novel action, which includes specific stimulation of the immune system. Hemispherx is the exclusive owner of all issued polyadenur(R) patents in any major pharma market and intends to actively cooperate with EU Examiners to insure the integrity of the EU patent issuance process. Hemispherx said that it believed the priority of its hepatitis treatment patents would be upheld and preserved, thus ensuring long-term value of its shareholders. Globally, Hemispherx has issued over 300 patents covering medicinal technologies for the treatment of various viral and immune dysfunction diseases including hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Phase II studies of polyadenur(R) recently performed in the EU have reported significantly higher response rates in patients receiving polyadenur(R) plus interferon versus interferon given alone. These results include apparently higher "complete response" rates; these therapeutic outcomes (i.e., no detectable virus and no detectable residual viral damage) would be expected also to decrease the incidence of liver cancer. Hemispherx said that the present patent engagements were part of a larger worldwide race to devise better treatment strategies, which would increase the effectiveness of interferon. Interferon is the approved, 'first line' treatment for both chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C infections. However, in some groups of patients, interferon alone helps less than 5% to 10% of the afflicted individuals. Combinational treatment may have significant value by prolonging or increasing the magnitude of response. Worldwide, hepatitis afflicts more than 100 million people and is indeed the leading cause of cancer (termed "hepatoma"). Information contained in this news release other than historical information should be considered forward-looking and is subject to various risk factors and uncertainties. For instance, the strategies and operations of Hemispherx involve risks of competition, changing market conditions, changes in laws and regulations affecting these industries and numerous other factors discussed in this release and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. ots Original Text Service: Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: William A. Carter, M.D., CEO & Chairman of Hemispherx Biopharma, 215-988- 0080; or William Jenks, 212-232-2222, Fax: 212-232-3232; or Sharon Will, Investor Relations, 212-572-0762, Fax: 212-572-0764; both of Broadgate Consultants Web Site: http://www.hemispherx.com Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug "PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to be published under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial service providing distribution of press releases from clients, who are identified in the text of Protext reports and who bear full responsibility for their contents. PROTEXT