Corixa Files Request for Formal Dispute Resolution With FDA on BEXXAR; In its Appeal, Company Requests Appearance at ODAC Meeting.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

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SEATTLE & PHILADELPHIA--(BW HealthWire)--May 31, 2002

Corixa Corp. (Nasdaq: CRXA) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) today announced that Corixa has filed a request for formal dispute resolution, appealing the position articulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the approval status of BEXXAR(R) in its complete review letter dated March 12, 2002.

Corixa also requested the opportunity to present data on the safety and efficacy of BEXXAR in the treatment of relapsed or refractory low-grade and transformed-low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) to a meeting of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC).

"This request initiates the dispute resolution process provided under the Food and Drug Administration Act (FDAMA)," stated Steven Gillis, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer at Corixa. "The filing also summarizes our strong belief that BEXXAR should be approved on the basis of the number of durable responses demonstrated across multiple clinical trials."

Under FDA procedures, requests for formal dispute resolution are sent to the appropriate dispute resolution project manager at the Agency. Appeals are then reviewed by the appropriate Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research official as established under the Center's chain of command. A written response from the Agency should be provided within 45 days of receipt of the request for dispute resolution. If additional information is required for the official to make a decision, that time period may be extended.

Although no new information may be submitted as a part of a request for dispute resolution, if an appeal is granted, Corixa could then provide the FDA with additional data in support of the contention that BEXXAR meets an unmet medical need that has not been observed with currently approved therapies. If an appeal is granted, the timing of an ODAC meeting would be dependent upon the receipt and review of additional information submitted in connection with the BLA. However, a presentation before ODAC this year remains a possibility, subject to approval of the appeal.

Further information regarding the procedures for dispute resolution is available in the February 2000 FDA Guidance for Industry document, "Formal Dispute Resolution - Appeals Above the Division Level" and can be accessed at http://www.fda.gov/cber/gdlns/dispute.pdf

About Corixa

Corixa is a developer of immunotherapeutics with a commitment to treating and preventing autoimmune diseases, cancer and infectious diseases by understanding and directing the immune system. Corixa is focused on immunotherapeutic products and has a broad technology platform enabling both fully integrated vaccine design and the use of its separate, proprietary product components on a standalone basis. Corixa currently has 18 programs in clinical development.

The company partners with numerous developers and marketers of pharmaceuticals, targeting products that are Powered by Corixa(TM) technology with the goal of making its potential products available to patients around the world. Corixa was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, with additional operations in Hamilton, Mont., and South San Francisco. For more information, please visit Corixa's Web site at http://www.corixa.com/ or call the company's investor relations information line at (877) 4CORIXA (426-7492) or 877/426-7492.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information, visit www.gsk.com.

Corixa Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements regarding the regulatory approval of our product candidate, BEXXAR. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made. They are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that could affect Corixa's actual results include, but are not limited to, the failure of FDA to approve the commercial sale of BEXXAR, and the "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Our Business and Our Stock Price," described in Corixa's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2002, copies of which are available from Corixa's investor relations department. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release.

GlaxoSmithKline Forward-Looking Statement

Under the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by the Company, including those made in this Announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect the Group's operations are described under Risk Factors in the Operating and Financial Review and Prospects in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2001, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.