Detailed Data on Alteon's Hypertension/Heart Failure Drug Candidate Alagebrium to Be Presented at The American Society of Hypertension Meeting PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alteon Inc. announced today that an abstract providing detailed clinical data from the Phase 2b SAPPHIRE/SILVER trial of its lead drug candidate alagebrium chloride (formerly ALT-711) has been accepted for presentation at the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting being held in New York City, May 18-22. Alagebrium is the first in a new class of drugs, called A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers, which restore flexibility and function to organs such as the heart, blood vessels and other tissues that have stiffened over time. The data from SAPPHIRE/SILVER and a prior clinical trial indicate that alagebrium has the ability to safely lower systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in aging patients, especially in a difficult-to-treat hypertensive patient population. Notably, alagebrium results were over and above standard hypertension treatment, and data thus far point to a mechanism of action unlike any existing antihypertensive agent. A second abstract, which highlights the cardiovascular and renal effects of alagebrium in a preclinical study of aged hypertensive rats, also has been accepted for presentation at ASH. "We are pleased to have more specific data on alagebrium released at this prestigious forum," said Kenneth I. Moch, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The scientific findings that are discussed in the SAPPHIRE/ SILVER abstract were pivotal in the design of our ongoing SPECTRA trial of alagebrium in uncontrolled systolic hypertension." A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers and Alagebrium Advanced Glycation End-products (A.G.E.s) are permanent glucose structures that form when glucose binds to the surface of proteins. Many of these proteins, including structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, play an integral role in the maintenance of cardiovascular elasticity function and vascular wall integrity. This process can impair the normal function of organs that depend on flexibility for normal function, such as blood vessels and cardiac muscle. Alagebrium is the first in the A.G.E. Crosslink Breaker class that has been shown to reverse or "break" A.G.E. crosslinks, thereby restoring more normal function to organs and tissues that have lost flexibility. Pharmacologic intervention with alagebrium directly targets the biochemical pathway leading to the stiffness of the cardiovascular system. Its mechanism of action is new and novel, and is unrelated to that of any pharmaceutical agent either currently prescribed or in clinical development. Importantly, alagebrium does not disrupt the natural enzymatic glycation sites or peptide bonds that are responsible for maintaining the normal integrity of the collagen chain. Thus, normal structure and function is preserved while abnormal crosslinking is reduced. About Alteon Alteon is developing several new classes of drugs that reverse or slow down diseases of aging and complications of diabetes. These compounds have an impact on a fundamental pathological process caused by protein-glucose complexes called Advanced Glycation End-products (A.G.E.s). The formation and crosslinking of A.G.E.s lead to a loss of flexibility and function in body tissues, organs and vessels and have been shown to be a causative factor in many age-related diseases and diabetic complications. Alteon has created a library of novel classes of compounds targeting the A.G.E. Pathway. These include A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers, A.G.E. Formation Inhibitors and Glucose Lowering Agents. Alteon's lead compound alagebrium chloride (formerly ALT- 711), the only A.G.E. Crosslink Breaker in advanced human testing, has demonstrated safety and efficacy in several Phase 2 trials and is actively being developed for systolic hypertension and heart failure. Ongoing clinical trials include SPECTRA (Systolic Pressure Efficacy and Safety Trial of Alagebrium) and PEDESTAL (Patients with Impaired Ejection Fraction and Diastolic Dysfunction: Efficacy and Safety Trial of ALagebrium). For more information on Alteon, visit the company's website at http://www.alteon.com/. Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, those relating to technology and product development (including the possibility that early clinical trial results may not be predictive of results that will be obtained in large-scale testing or that any clinical trials will not demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy to obtain requisite approvals or will not result in marketable products), regulatory approval processes, intellectual property rights and litigation, competitive products, ability to obtain financing, and other risks identified in Alteon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this press release is accurate as of the date indicated. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. Alteon undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. DATASOURCE: Alteon Inc. CONTACT: Susan M. Pietropaolo, Director, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Alteon, Inc., +1-201-818-5537, Web site: http://www.alteon.com/

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