ALZA Corporation announces organizational changes.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1995--ALZA Corporation (NYSE:AZA) today announced that it has named Felix Theeuwes, D.Sc., to the new position of president of ALZA Research and Development; appointed James W. Young, Ph.D., managing director of ALZA Technology Institute (ATI); promoted Janne Wissel to vice president of Regulatory and Quality Management; promoted Don Chaisson to vice president of Quality Management and Analytical Sciences; and promoted Mary E. Prevo to vice president of Environmental and Product Safety.

"These organizational changes are being made to help us better achieve several long-term objectives -- sustaining our world leadership position in the creation of therapeutic systems, assuring quality in all our activities, including product manufacturing, and commercializing the products we develop," said Dr. Ernest Mario, co-chairman and chief executive officer.

The Company has combined ATI, its research arm, and Technical Development, its product development area, under the leadership of Dr. Felix Theeuwes, to better coordinate ALZA's research and development efforts. Reporting to Dr. Theeuwes will be Dr. Young, who will oversee the ATI research activities, and Dr. Ron Haak, vice president of Technical Development.

Dr. Theeuwes, 57, who previously held the position of president of ATI, joined ALZA in 1970 and is an inventor on more than 180 U.S. patents in the field of controlled drug delivery. His endeavors helped lead to the development of the OROS technology, which has been incorporated in numerous commercially successful products. In addition, Dr. Theeuwes has played a key role in the establishment and development of ALZA's electrotransport technology and a number of other emerging drug delivery technologies. Dr. Theeuwes continues to serve as chief scientist of ALZA. He received his D.Sc. degree in physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium.

Dr. James Young, 50, who joins ALZA effective June 1, will manage the resources and priorities of ATI, provide strategic direction for ATI and participate in business development activities, particularly in-licensing of technologies. ALZA formed ATI in 1994 to extend existing technologies, develop new technologies, and license-in or acquire new technologies from the pharmaceutical, academic and biotechnology arenas. Dr. Young will join ALZA from Affymax N.V., where he held the position of president, Pharmaceuticals Division. Previously, he served as senior vice president and general manager of Pharmaceuticals at Sepracor Inc. Dr. Young received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Fordham University in New York City. He earned his master's degree and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Cornell University.

In keeping with its commitment to the highest levels of safety and quality, ALZA has brought together the functions of Environmental and Product Safety, Quality Management and Analytical Sciences, Regulatory Affairs, and Medical Writing under the leadership of Janne Wissel. Ms. Wissel most recently served as vice president of Quality Management. In her new position, Ms. Wissel will report to Dr. Samuel R. Saks, senior vice president of Medical Affairs. Ms. Wissel, 39, joined ALZA in the area of Quality Assurance in 1981. She earned her bachelor of science degree from the University of California, Davis, and master's in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Don Chaisson, 47, will oversee the Quality Management functions within ALZA, and continue to manage Analytical Sciences. Mr. Chaisson previously held the position of vice president of Analytical Sciences. In his new position, Mr. Chaisson will report to Ms. Wissel. He joined ALZA in 1971 as an analytical chemist; in 1977 he became a director of Quality Control for Banner Gelatin Products Corp. (a Los Angeles-based developer and manufacturer of soft gelatin capsules), where he ultimately served as vice president of Technical Services; he returned to ALZA in 1989 as director of Analytical Sciences. Mr. Chaisson holds a bachelor of science degree and a master's in business administration from the University of Santa Clara, and he received a master's degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In the newly created position of vice president of Environmental and Product Safety, Mary Prevo, 47, will report to Ms. Wissel and oversee Environmental Health & Safety and Marketed and Clinical Product Safety. She previously held the position of director of Toxicology and Microbiology and will continue to manage those functions. Ms. Prevo, who joined ALZA in 1971, also serves as a research fellow at ALZA. She earned her bachelor of science degree in zoology from Eastern Illinois University, and master's degree in biology/toxicology at San Jose State University.

ALZA Corporation is a leading drug delivery systems company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of therapeutic systems that improve the medical and economic value of drugs. ALZA's therapeutic systems provide rate-controlled administration of medication.

CONTACT: ALZA Corporation, Palo Alto

Dawn Guthart, 415/494-5222