Incara and Indevus Outlicense Bucindolol Interest for Development RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. and LEXINGTON, Mass., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Incara Pharmaceuticals Corporation (BULLETIN BOARD: INCR) and Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the outlicensing of the beta-blocker bucindolol to ARCA Discovery, Inc. of Aurora, Colorado. Bucindolol was previously under development by Incara for the treatment of heart failure but development was discontinued in 1999. Commercial rights to bucindolol are owned by CPEC LLC, a limited liability company jointly owned by Incara and Indevus. Terms of the license call for future royalty and milestone payments to CPEC upon the development of bucindolol. In July of 1999 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated the Phase 3 heart failure study of bucindolol earlier than scheduled, based on an interim analysis that revealed a reduction in mortality in subpopulations that had been recently reported in other trials and who constituted the majority of patients in the trial, but no efficacy in some other subpopulations that had not been previously investigated in beta-blocker heart failure trials. ARCA and its academic collaborators have reexamined the clinical trial data and have identified a genetic marker that highly correlates with patients who did not respond to bucindolol. ARCA believes that bucindolol's unique pharmacology is suitable for therapy of most heart failure patients who do not exhibit this genetic marker, in other pharmacogenetically-identified subpopulations that are ideally suited for bucindolol's novel therapeutic action, and for the treatment of ischemia in the setting of left ventricular dysfunction. ARCA was founded by Dr. Michael Bristow of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, who has investigated bucindolol in these settings and who is a pioneer in the development of beta-blockade as a treatment for heart failure. According to Dr. Bristow, "In cardiovascular diseases including heart failure it is now time to focus our drug development attention on unique patient subpopulations, and identify novel therapeutic strategies that yield enhanced activity in them. Pharmacogenetic subsets, particularly in heart failure, are ideally suited for this approach, as are certain other subpopulations. The further development of bucindolol will hopefully be just the beginning of these efforts." Incara Pharmaceuticals Corporation is developing a new class of small molecule catalytic antioxidants that destroy oxygen-derived free radicals, believed to be an important contributor to the pathogenesis of many diseases. Incara's catalytic antioxidants have been shown to reduce damage to tissue in animal studies of neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) and stroke, and in other non-neurological indications such as cancer radiation therapy, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Indevus Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of a diversified portfolio of pharmaceutical product candidates, including multiple compounds in late-stage clinical development. The Company currently has six compounds in development: trospium for overactive bladder, pagoclone for panic and generalized anxiety disorders, citicoline for ischemic stroke, IP 751 for pain and inflammatory disorders, PRO 2000 for the prevention of infection by HIV and other sexually-transmitted pathogens, and aminocandin for systemic fungal infections. The statements in this press release that are not purely statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, and actual results might differ materially from those anticipated. These statements and other statements made elsewhere by Incara or its representatives, which are identified or qualified by words such as "intends," "likely," "will," "suggests," "expects," "might," "may," "believe," "could," "should," "would," "anticipates," "plans," or the negative of those terms or similar expressions, are based on a number of assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause results to differ include risks associated with the uncertainties of clinical trials, product development activities and scientific research and the need to conserve and obtain funds for operations. These and other important risks are described in Incara's reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K and its registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Incara assumes no obligation to update the information in this release. DATASOURCE: Incara Pharmaceuticals Corporation CONTACT: W. Bennett Love of Incara Pharmaceuticals Corporation, +1-919-558-1907 Web site: http://www.incara.com/

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