Canadian Health Ministry Proposes Sweeping Disclosure of Major Carcinogens in Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke.

PETERSBURG, Va.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 21, 1999--

Star is Well Positioned to Respond

Based Upon Its Patented Curing Process

for Virtually Eliminating a Primary

Carcinogen in Tobacco

Star Scientific, Inc. (OTC: STSI), formerly EYTC, changed its name at its recent Annual Meeting in Richmond to reflect the nature of its primary corporate focus, namely, to continue developing "harm reduction" and "less toxic" tobacco products, as well as a range of smoking cessation products, to assist adult smokers in making informed choices about health hazards.

Yesterday, Canadian Health Minister, Allan Rock, in Ottawa, announced an aggressive cigarette packaging disclosure proposal which, if approved by Parliament this spring, would mandate that cigarette and smokeless tobacco manufacturers doing business in Canada reveal, in detail, broad health warnings and information about the toxic and carcinogenic compounds in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. Star Scientific applauds the Health Ministry's enlightened position in allowing adult smokers to make an informed judgment about their choice of tobacco products, based upon information about scientifically recognized carcinogenic compounds in tobacco and tobacco smoke, including particularly the tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA's).

Star Scientific believes it is in an excellent position (as it referenced in its December 16, 1998 press release) to respond to the Canadian Ministry's proposed regulations that tobacco companies would be required, if they chose to market their products in Canada, to specifically declare in bold print, on a cigarette label covering 60% of the top of the display panel, explicit information about tobacco specific nitrosamines, among other known toxins and carcinogens. The Canadian Health Minister believes that adult consumer information regarding levels of certain toxic materials in tobacco and tobacco smoke, particularly the levels of carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA's), is a meaningful message to communicate to adult cigarette and smokeless tobacco users. The Canadian Health Ministry in its announcement recognized that the TSNA's "cause cancer" and "are the most active cancer causing agent in tobacco". (Proposed Regulation 4.1.)

Star Scientific has pioneered the development of a high speed, economically feasible and patented curing technology process for removal of virtually all of these tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA's) from tobacco, as well as from second hand smoke. Star believes it is the only company in the world which has developed and secured patent protection for this tobacco curing process. Star Scientific is committed to continue exploring entry into the Canadian market based upon what it believes to be its good science and its program of scientific testing of its new cigarettes made with pure Virginia flu-cured tobacco that is virtually free of nitrosamines, as a result of the novel Star curing process. Recently, this new product was studied under an FDA reviewed Phase I Protocol at the Virginia Commonwealth University under the direction of Dr. William Barr, Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Director for the Center for Drug Studies, as its principal investigator. The recently concluded 19-day in and out patient crossover study was conducted at the Center for Drug Studies at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

In a similar fashion to the broad focus of the Canadian Health Ministry relating to these proposed regulations, the study focused not only upon TSNA levels but also upon the levels of tar and carbon monoxide (two other substances noted by the Canadian Health Ministry to be of concern). Star Scientific anticipates having final results of these studies in approximately 60 days. As measured by the FTC recognized method, the test cigarettes delivered substantially less carbon monoxide (4.8 milligrams versus 12.2 milligrams) and about half as much tar (7.0 milligrams versus 14.0 milligrams) compared to an average of the best selling full flavored cigarettes.

Professor Robert J. DeLorenzo (M.D., Ph.D.), Chairman of the Board of Star and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University, praised the wisdom and courage of the Canadian Health Minister, Dr. Allan Rock, in recognizing that tobacco specific nitrosamines found in both tobacco and second hand smoke are active cancer causing agents that adult smokers have the right to know about and make informed judgments regarding their exposure to these toxic compounds. Dr. DeLorenzo stated that "Canada's proposal to require cigarette and smokeless tobacco manufacturers to market their products with specific warning information on the label relating to TSNA's provides Star Scientific an opportunity to disclose to the public its scientific achievements and underscores the company's credo that there now exists ways to produce tobacco that is less toxic than that currently used in conventional cigarettes and smokeless tobacco." Dr. DeLorenzo also said that "Star Scientific has invested its time and fiscal resources wisely in developing the new curing process because it believes that its technology does reduce tobacco toxicity and that adult consumers should be able to make an informed choice about what they put into their bodies." The company, Dr. DeLorenzo stated, "intends to voluntarily comply both with the letter and the spirit of the proposed Canadian health warning regulations."

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainty which may affect the company's business and prospects. Forward-looking statements are based upon current management's expectations. These statements may differ materially from actual future events, as a result of certain risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the development, manufacture and commercialization of Star's proprietary process for reducing or virtually eliminating the tobacco specific nitrosamines in the processing of tobacco leaf, as well as the risks associated with the company's proposed cigarette products including potential delays in obtaining any necessary federal and/or state regulatory approvals in the United States and/or similar approvals outside of the United States. Further, there are always marketing risks associated with the acceptance of products of this nature as well as general economic conditions and other risks and uncertainties associated with potential litigation and/or detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8.

SOURCE: Star Scientific, Inc.