ALTANA Pharma files a suit against reference prices at the Social Court.

BAD HOMBURG, Germany -- ALTANA AG (NYSE:AAA)(FWB:ALT) announced today that at the beginning of December, ALTANA Pharma has filed a suit at the Social Court in Berlin against the central association (Spitzenverbaende) of the German statutory health insurance companies with reference to their classification of Pantozol(R) (Pantoprazole) as part of a reference price group. ALTANA Pharma is of the opinion that the therapeutical improvements of Pantozol(R), e.g. less interactions with other drugs, has not been taken into account in the establishment of reference price groups for the class of proton pump inhibitors. The suit is directed against this wrong decision as well as the missing transparency of the proceedings of the Federal Committee. Furthermore, reference prices for innovative drugs contravene the objectives of patent protection.

"We think that reference prices for patent-protected drugs give the wrong signal", explained Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, President and CEO of ALTANA Pharma AG. "Instead of promoting innovations in our country, reference prices render patent protection invalid and hurt Germany as a location for pharmaceutical companies on a sustained basis".

Published on November 5, the reference prices (i.e. upper reimbursement limit for the drugs of patients of the statutory health insurance system) for proton pump inhibitors like Pantoprazole will become effective as of January 1, 2005. Due to the reference price establishment for this group of active agents, ALTANA Pharma will adapt the price of Pantozol(R) as of January 1, 2005 to the reference price, so that patients concerned do not have to pay additional contributions. The financial burden ALTANA Pharma will have to bear due to the leveled down prices of Pantozol(R) in Germany as of January 2005, is expected to be around EUR 35 million.

This amount will no longer be available for investment activities in Germany. Over the past three years ALTANA Pharma has spent about EUR 1 billion on the development of new drugs. In Constance alone, ALTANA Pharma's central research and development location, EUR 100 million has been invested in new laboratories. Within this period of time, more than 700 new jobs, most of them in the field of research, were created in Germany.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, i.e., current estimates or expectations of future events or future results. The forward-looking statements appearing in this press release include ALTANA's intention to oppose against the savings measures of introducing reference price groups for the class of proton pump inhibitors and its intention to nevertheless adapt the price of Pantoprazole to the reference price as of January 1, 2005 and furthermore ALTANA's expectation for a financial burden of around EUR 35 million due to the leveled down price of Pantoprazole in Germany as of this date. These statements are based on beliefs of ALTANA's management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to ALTANA. Many factors that ALTANA is unable to predict with accuracy could cause ALTANA's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include ALTANA's ability to develop and launch new and innovative pharmaceutical products, price regulations for pharmaceuticals and budgeting decisions of local governments and health care providers, the level of ALTANA's investment in pharmaceuticals-related R&D, the sales and marketing methods used by ALTANA to distribute its pharmaceuticals and the composition of ALTANA's pharmaceuticals portfolio.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. ALTANA does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update forward-looking statements to reflect facts, circumstances or events that have occurred or changed after such statements have been made.