Atlantic Pharmaceuticals receives second patent for novel cataract removal technology.

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BW HealthWire)--April 25, 1997--Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq Small Cap: ATLC) today announced that Optex Opthalmologics, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary, has received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for issuance of a second U.S. patent on the Catarex(TM) cataract removal system. Catarex is a proprietary technology that uses a directed mechanical energy source that may enable a faster operating procedure and is less surgically invasive to the eye of a cataract patient compared to currently available technologies.

Upon issuance, the new patent would provide additional protection for certain basic elements of the technology that would facilitate successful commercialization of the Catarex technology. This second patent broadens and strengthens Atlantic's exclusive position to market the technology and its instrumentation.

"The second patent for Catarex further strengthens our position as we prepare to enter the large and growing market for cataract surgery," said J.D. Lindjord, President and CEO of Atlantic. "The additional patent will help us attract the right corporate partners to bring to market a device that we believe may significantly improve the way cataract surgery patients are treated. We currently are meeting with potential corporate partners and plan to file a 510 (k) device notification with the FDA in early 1998."

Atlantic recently announced that it accomplished in vivo proof of principle for Catarex. Results of animal studies (pigs) performed by Dr. Alan P. Kratz of the University of California, Irvine, showed Catarex was effective in removing cataracts in under 10 minutes with no observed adverse effects on the structures of the eye. In all cases, the lens capsule remained intact with about only a 1.5 millimeter opening made to insert Catarex through the eye's inner lens capsule.

Catarex is a proprietary technology that, if cleared for marketing by the FDA, may allow surgeons to remove a cataract in less than 10 minutes through a 1.5-2.5 millimeter incision in the eye and only a 1-2 millimeter opening in the eye's inner lens capsule with a device that uses a directed mechanical energy source. The less invasive nature of Catarex compared to currently available technologies means that it has the potential to leave much of the eye unaffected, which could reduce operative and postoperative trauma, and may hasten visual recovery. In contrast, surgeons currently extract cataracts through extracapsular extraction (ECCE) or ultrasonic Phacoemulsification (Phaco). These techniques require approximately 20 to 40 minutes for surgery. ECCE involves the direct surgical extraction of the entire lens nucleus through a 6- 11 millimeter incision in the eye and a 4-6 millimeter opening in the eye's inner lens capsule. Phaco involves fragmenting the cataract and removing the pieces through a 3- 5 millimeter incision in the eye and a 4-6 millimeter opening in the eye's inner lens capsule.

Cataract formation is among the most common aging disorders. This progressive clouding of an eye's normally clear, crystalline lens degrades visual acuity and eventually requires surgical extraction to restore vision. In the United States, among people over the age of 60, cataract removal is the most frequently performed surgical procedure. Worldwide, approximately 4 million people undergo cataract surgery each year, and this number is expected to increase as the population ages.

Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, based in Raleigh, NC, is a biopharmaceutical company developing pharmaceutical and biomedical products for a variety of therapeutic areas. In addition to its work in the area of cataract removal, Atlantic is developing novel technologies in antisense gene therapy, prevention of restenosis following coronary angioplasty, and anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs.

As with any company developing novel therapeutics, Atlantic may make certain forward-looking statements that relate to future business and financial performance. Such statements can only be predictions and the actual events or future results may differ from those discussed, due, among other things, to those risks described in the company's reports on forms 10-QSB and 10-KSB.

For more information on Atlantic Pharmaceutical's technologies, visit the company's homepage at http://www.atlan.com. Atlantic's press releases are available through BusinessWire's web site at http://www.businesswire.com. The releases also are available at no charge through BusinessWire's fax-on-demand service at 888-286-8109.

CONTACT: Lisa Wolford

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