Biotechnology -- Future of Medicine -- On Display At Two Investors Forums in California On March 13.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 1999--In scientific meetings and journals everywhere, announcements of astonishing and exciting developments rapidly unfolding in biotech laboratories are surfacing at a rapid clip.

Investors interested in hearing the latest developments in biotech's promise are invited to attend two Informed Investors Biotech Forums being held on Saturday, March 13, in San Diego and in Foster City in the Bay Area. For details, check www.informedinvestors.com.

At a recent New York scientific meeting, the chairman emeritus of Eli Lilly, Randall Tobias, tantalized attendees with 21st Century visions that until recently would have been the province of science fiction writers.

"The day will come," Tobias said, "when we regard all surgeries, except trauma, as failures of the pharmaceutical industry. The end of surgery? Now that is a vision we can all look forward to."

Among the most exciting recently-approved new products is Genentech's (Nyse:GNE) Herceptin, a drug that blocks the gene HER-2, the genetic culprit that turns normal breast cells into cancerous cells. HER-2 may also be involved in prostate cancer, too.

Tobias likened medicine today to where the aerospace industry was at the time of Charles Lindbergh's historic trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. But the pace of developments in the life sciences, he predicted, will rapidly catapult biotechnology to the equivalent of landing a human on the moon.

Tobias' comments were reported by Laurie Garrett of Newsday. Her article summarized biotech's great promise, a time in the next century when preventive care will be so sophisticated as to eliminate many of the diseases that afflict humankind today.

Many biotech companies are surging ahead with scientific developments that not only boggle the mind, but may produce financial bonanzas for those companies that can leverage their science into commercial products.

Anesta Corp. (Nasdaq:NSTA) was recently highlighted in Business Week (March 1 issue). Anesta's Actiq "lozenge on a stick" drug delivery system helps relieves breakthrough pain for cancer patients. A 74-year-old user of Actiq said in the magazine that Actiq "starts to work almost immediately ... now, I'm able to get out of bed easier, able to stand up easier. I even played a round of golf."

Geron Corp. (Nasdaq:GERN) is focused on the relationship between telomere erosion, the aging process and disease formation. Geron is pursuing the discovery of therapies that activate telomerase in normal cells, to postpone disease, and inhibit telomerase in cancer cells to re-mortalize tumors.

Another company, Collateral Therapeutics (Nasdaq:CLTX) of San Diego, is developing non-surgical cardiovascular gene therapy products focused on: (1) angiogenesis, as a treatment approach for coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and congestive heart failure; (2) myocardial adrenergic signaling, as a treatment for congestive heart failure; and (3) heart muscle regeneration, to improve cardiac function for patients who have suffered a heart attack.

Investors interested in hearing about these latest developments and more are invited to attend two Informed Investors Biotech Forums being held on Saturday, March 13, in Foster City in the Bay Area, and in San Diego.

Executives from Genentech, Anesta and Geron, and many more, will be on hand to present their business strategies and latest scientific developments in Foster City. Presenting companies include: Advanced Tissues Sciences; Anesta; Aradigm; Cell Genesys, Cor Therapeutics; Genentech; Geron; Inhale Therapeutics; MGI Pharma. (Nasdaq:MOGN); Microcide; NeoTherapeutics; NPS Pharma.; Sugen (Nasdaq:SUGN); SuperGen and ViroPharma.

Also, two industry experts, David Steinberg, Vice President/Senior Analyst at Volpe Brown Whelan, and Mark Lampert, portfolio manager, Biotech Value Fund, will give perspective and additional insight into the industry and companies.

In San Diego, in addition to Collateral Therapeutics, executives from the following companies will present: Anesta; AVI BioPharma; CoCensys; CombiChem; Corvas; Interpore Cross (Nasdaq:BONZ); Isis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ISIP); SunPharm; Trega BioSciences and Vical.

Keynoting are Alan Auerbach, VP and Biotech-Biomed Analyst at First Security Van Kasper, and Curtis Hogue, Analyst/Healthcare Technologies, Cruttenden Roth.

Since 1993, Sacramento, Calif.-based Informed Investors has hosted scores of quality companies and industry experts at its Forums.