Clinical Data For SEQUUS Pharmaceuticals' AMPHOTEC Product Suggest Safety And Efficacy In Treatment Of Fungal Infections In Bone Marrow Transplant Patients.

ASSISI, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 1996--Data from five open label trials involving 220 bone marrow transplant patients, reviewed by Dr. Gary Noskin of Northwestern University, suggest that AMPHOTEC is safe and effective in the treatment of severe fungal infections in bone marrow transplant patients. AMPHOTEC, also known as amphotericin B colloidal dispersion or ABCD, is being developed by SEQUUS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEQU) to treat progressive and potentially fatal systemic fungal infections. Data derived from this retrospective analysis need to be confirmed in randomized, prospective comparative trials.

This retrospective review, presented at the "9th Symposium on Infections in the Immunocompromised Host," showed an overall response rate to ABCD of 53% in 99 patients with well-documented fungal infections who received a minimum of 7 days of treatment. The response rate for Candida infections was 67%. ABCD did not cause nephrotoxicity in this high risk patient group, 79% of whom received allogenic transplants. There was no evidence of increased nephrotoxicity in patients receiving concurrent cyclosporine and/or aminoglycosides. Fever (12%) and chills (11%) were the most commonly reported infusion related side-effects.

Dr. Noskin's poster noted that the historical mortality rates after bone marrow transplantation approach 90% for pulmonary aspergillosis and invasive candidiasis and can reach 100% for disseminated aspergillosis. In contrast, patients treated with ABCD had a mortality rate of 70%. The poster also presented historical data indicating that 80% of patients treated with amphotericin B may develop renal toxicity as compared to 12% of the ABCD treated group included in the retrospective analysis.

The patients in the treatment group were evenly split among men and women (52%-48%). The average age was 34 and 21 patients under 13 years of age were included. The average daily dose was 4.1 mg/kg and the average duration of treatment was 23 days.

SEQUUS is developing AMPHOTEC for the treatment of aspergillosis and other systemic fungal infections such as candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis and mucormycosis in patients who have failed prior therapy or are intolerant to amphotericin B. These infections primarily affect people with immune systems which have been compromised by AIDS, intensive chemotherapy or immune-suppressive drugs used in conjunction with bone marrow and solid organ transplants. AMPHOTEC, marketed as AMPHOCIL outside the U.S., is approved for use in 10 countries. A New Drug Application for this product is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California (with offices in London, England), SEQUUS is developing proprietary pharmaceutical products for the critical care market. -0-

Note to Editors: Information about SEQUUS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is now available on-line at http://www.sequus.com

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