Clinical Study Of Boston Life Sciences' Diagnostic For Attention Deficit Disorder Is "Top Scoring" Paper Presented At Society Of Nuclear Medicine.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

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BOSTON--(BW HealthWire)--June 7, 2000

Importance of Dopamine Transporter in ADD Emphasized in Several

Presentations

A human clinical study using Boston Life Sciences' (NASDAQ: BLSI) Altropane to detect abnormal increases in Dopamine Transporter (DAT) levels in the brains of selected ADD patients scored the highest in a peer-review panel set up to judge the quality and scientific importance of papers presented at the Psychiatry session of the Society of Nuclear Medicine Meeting being held this week in St. Louis, Missouri. The abstract entitled "Assessment of DAT density in patients with ADHD using 123I-Altropane" was presented by Dr. Darin Dougherty of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School on Monday June 5, 2000. Boston Life Sciences is currently conducting a Phase II human clinical study testing the efficacy of Altropane as an objective diagnosis of ADD.

The presentation was an elaboration of a study published recently in the British Medical Journal The Lancet. This study is the first published and presented description of a detectable DAT abnormality in subjects with ADD. The DAT is a protein on the membrane of dopamine-producing cells that regulates the amount of dopamine present in brain synapses. Altropane, a 123I-radioimaging agent, has been shown to bind with high selectivity to the DAT, making it an ideal quantitative imaging agent to measure DAT density in the brain using a conventional nuclear medicine SPECT camera.

In The Lancet study, ADD subjects had DAT densities almost twice that of age-matched control subjects (p>0.001). This highly significant difference in DAT density represents the first clear evidence that there is an objectively measurable, biologic cause of ADD. Papers presented by other clinical researchers supported this "high DAT" hypothesis of ADD, by demonstrating that Ritalin effectively blocks the DAT and raises local synaptic dopamine levels. Presumably the beneficial effects of Ritalin are due to the functional reduction in DAT density by Ritalin.

"The high priority and recognition given to this work by the nuclear medicine community speaks for itself," stated Dr. Marc Lanser, Chief Scientific Officer of BLSI. "There is a growing body of research that supports our hypothesis that elevated DAT density is of fundamental importance in causing the signs and symptoms of ADHD. Since Altropane appears to be the most accurate and convenient means of actually measuring DAT density in humans, we believe that Altropane has the potential to beneficially and fundamentally change the way that ADD is diagnosed and treated," added Dr. Lanser.

BLSI is developing novel diagnostics and therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as treatments for cancer, autoimmune disease, and central nervous system disorders. BLSI's products in development include: Altropane, a radioimaging agent for the diagnosis of PD and ADHD; Troponin I, a naturally-occurring anti-angiogenesis factor for the treatment of solid tumors; AF-1 and Inosine, nerve growth factors for the treatment of acute and chronic CNS disorders; novel therapies for the treatment of PD and ADHD; and transcription factors that may control the expression of molecules associated with autoimmune disease and allergies.

Statements made in this press release other than statements of historical fact represent forward-looking statements. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding expectations or beliefs as to future results or events, such as the expected timing and results of clinical trials, discussions with regulatory agencies, schedules of IND, NDA and all other regulatory submissions, the timing of product introductions, the possible approval of products, and the market size and possible advantages of the Company's products. All such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may vary materially from these statements. Factors that may affect future results include: the availability and adequacy of financial resources, the ability to obtain intellectual property protection, delays in the regulatory or development processes, results of scientific data from clinical trials, the outcome of discussions with potential partners, regulatory decisions, market acceptance of the Company's products, and other possible risks and uncertainties that have been noted in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.