Atlantic receives broad patent for key antisense platform technology.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 1996--

Patent Covers Atlantic's Technology for Significantly Enhancing

Antisense Efficacy

Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq Small Cap: ATLC) today announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent 5,583,032, which contains broad claims that protect one of Atlantic's platform technologies.

This patent gives Gemini Gene Therapies Inc., a majority-owned private subsidiary of Atlantic, exclusive rights to any chemical compound that combines any antisense oligonucleotides with any activator of RNase-L, as well as the methods for creating such compounds.

Antisense oligonucleotides are synthetic segments of DNA designed to bind to specific messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules and selectively suppress the expression of disease-causing proteins. The goal of antisense technology is to inhibit protein and gene expression by binding a sequence-specific compound to its complementary sense nucleic acid sequence. This binding alters the splicing, stability, or translation processing of mRNA, preventing the expression of proteins crucial to a disease process.

RNase-L is an enzyme that, in the presence of an activator, simultaneously and selectively degrades targeted mRNA. This selective mRNA degradation is a potentially key step in the effective therapeutic use of antisense technology. As such, Atlantic's technology, which covers any combination of antisense oligonucleotides with RNase-L activators, could improve the efficacy, specificity, and toleration of antisense therapeutics.

"The technology covered by this patent represents a potential breakthrough in improving the therapeutic efficacy of antisense technology in a broad range of oligonucleotides," said Stephen R. Miller, M.D., senior vice president, chief scientific and medical officer of Atlantic. "Although still early-stage, our tests have shown promising results, particularly against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), with substantial efficacy increases compared with unenhanced oligonucleotides."

This antisense enhancing technology is expected to be applicable to other technologies involving antisense molecules. Atlantic plans to license it to major corporate partners on a use basis.

"The early-stage test results for this technology have demonstrated its potential as a powerful method for enhancing antisense efficacy," said J.D. Lindjord, president and chief executive officer of Atlantic. "Given the large number of antisense compounds currently in development at a number of companies, this patent gives Atlantic significant leverage in ongoing discussions regarding potential licensing agreements."

Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, based in Half Moon Bay, is a biopharmaceutical company developing pharmaceutical and biomedical products for a variety of therapeutic areas. Currently, Atlantic is developing novel technologies in the areas of cataract removal, 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. -0- Editor's Notes:

For more information on Atlantic's novel technologies and unique corporate vision, as well as biographical information on its management team and a copy of this release, visit Atlantic's homepage on the Internet at http://www.atlan.com. This release is also available at http://www.noonanrusso.com.

A fact sheet on Atlantic is also available via fax through December 24 by calling 212/696-4455 ext. 329 and requesting document number 900.

CONTACT: Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Inc., Half Moon Bay

J.D. Lindjord or Margaret A. Schalk

415/726-1327

e-mail: [e-mail]

or

Noonan/Russo Communications Inc., New York

212/696-4455

Rich Tammero (media) ext. 222

Amy Martini (investor) ext. 255

e-mail: [e-mail]