Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. Announces LiquiVent; Enhances Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Expression in Lungs in Preclinical Study.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

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SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--June 18, 2001

Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. (NASDAQ:ALLP) Monday announced that the use of LiquiVent(R), an oxygen-carrying liquid (perflubron), enhanced adenovirus-mediated gene expression in the lungs of spontaneously breathing non-human primates.

Results from a new preclinical study were presented at the 4th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) by Daniel J. Weiss, MD, Ph.D., a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Alliance is investigating the use of LiquiVent, a perfluorochemical liquid that spreads easily through the airways, as a safe vehicle for delivery of genes and other drugs directly into the lungs.

"Significant advances in gene therapy strategies for acute and chronic lung diseases have been made over the past several years, but there are physical barriers and other obstacles that impede or limit access of gene transfer vectors in the lungs," Dr. Weiss explained. "The use of a liquid to deliver these vectors more effectively into and throughout the lower airways could overcome several of these obstacles and improve overall gene expression."

"The method used in this study involved administering a gene transfer vector into the lungs, followed by a single instillation of LiquiVent," Dr. Weiss noted. "This approach yielded gene expression in a greater total number of cells, as well as more widespread distribution of expression throughout the lung, than use of the vector alone.

"We administered a single dose of LiquiVent to spontaneously breathing subjects and found that the product was well tolerated and without obvious adverse clinical effect," Weiss reported. "These findings are consistent with the demonstrated safety and lack of overall toxicity of LiquiVent when used in clinical trials for long periods of time to patients who were supported by a mechanical ventilator. Other investigators have also shown that LiquiVent can be administered in a similar manner to our approach without significant adverse effect, and that it can enhance adenovirus-mediated gene expression in lungs."

"Alliance is very interested in the use of LiquiVent to facilitate drug delivery in the lungs to treat both pulmonary and systemic diseases," said Duane J. Roth, chairman and CEO of Alliance. "We have sponsored preclinical studies in this area in the past few years, and we have been issued several patents regarding the use of perfluorochemical liquids in conjunction with pharmacological agents. Dr. Weiss' results are very encouraging, and we will continue to investigate this promising research."

Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. is developing therapeutic and diagnostic products based on its perfluorochemical and surfactant technologies. The company's products are intended primarily for use during acute care situations, including surgical, cardiology, and respiratory applications. Alliance is developing Oxygent, an intravascular oxygen carrier in Phase 3 development, in the United States, Canada, and Europe in conjunction with Baxter Healthcare Corp. Imavist, an ultrasound contrast agent being developed with Schering AG, Germany, was the subject of a New Drug Application (NDA) submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 1999. In August 2000, Alliance announced that the FDA had completed its review of the NDA for Imavist and found it to be approvable, upon satisfactory response to certain issues identified in the review process. Additional information about the company is available on Alliance's Web site at www.allp.com.

Except for historical information, the matters set forth in this release are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth herein, including the availability of funding for development, the uncertainties associated with the conduct of preclinical or clinical studies and the timing or ability to investigate scientific data. Alliance refers you to cautionary information contained in documents the company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the last Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and those risk factors set forth in the most recent registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-47032) and Form S-4 (File No. 333-49676). Alliance is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.