Esperion Therapeutics Receives $6.2 Million Loan

Ann Arbor, Mich. (PROTEXT) - Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.,today announced it has received a $6.2 million loan fromIndustrifonden, the Swedish Industrial Development Fund, to fundclinical development of Esperion's initial cardiovascular productcandidate, recombinant human apoA-I Milano phospholipid complex("AIM"). "This loan represents a significant milestone in Esperion'sevolution, as it is our first investment from outside thefounding venture capital investors," stated Roger S. Newton,Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Esperion. "Weview this relationship with Industrifonden as additionalvalidation for our company. It is also a unique opportunity toestablish a subsidiary in Sweden that will help guide theproduction and clinical development of AIM and our other productcandidates." AIM has been shown in preclinical testing to boost HDL levels,transport cholesterol back to the liver, and to be an effectivetreatment in animal models of atherosclerosis. AIM is initiallybeing developed as an acute treatment for acute coronarysyndromes (stable and unstable angina) and to prevent restenosisassociated with coronary artery bypass grafts and balloonangioplasty, a complication that affects between 20 to 40 percentof patients undergoing either treatment option. Esperion intendsto begin Phase I clinical studies with AIM in the second quarterof 2000. The Swedish government established the Swedish IndustrialDevelopment Fund in 1979 to stimulate industrial growth in Swedenby investing capital and management expertise. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., was founded in July 1998 with thegoal of becoming the leader in the research, development, andcommercialization of new medicines to treat metabolic diseasesthat may stem from low levels of plasma high density lipoprotein("HDL" or the "good cholesterol"). These metabolic diseasesinclude atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, stroke, andAlzheimer's Disease. Esperion's senior management team is made upof scientists from Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert and Pharmacia &Upjohn (PNU). Roger Newton, Ph.D., Esperion's President and CEO,was the co-discoverer and product champion of Lipitor(R) and,together with his team, developed two other product candidates inclinical development at Parke-Davis, while the PNU team hasexcelled in both large-scale production of recombinant proteinsand clinical research. David Scheer, President of Scheer andCompany, Inc., was a co-founder of Esperion and helped attractventure capital from Oak Investment Partners, TL Ventures, andHealthCap KB. ots Original Text Service: Esperion Therapeutics,Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Roger Newton,Ph.D., President & CEO, (USA) 734-332-0506, ext. 207; or TimMayleben, Vice President, CFO, (USA) 734-332-0506, ext. 224,both of Esperion; or Juliane Snowden, (USA) 212-510-9286, orJohn Walker, (USA) 212-510-3946, both of Thomson Financial

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