Diatide Announces Key Patent for Cancer Pain Treatment Technology.

LONDONDERRY, N.H.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 6, 1999--Diatide, Inc. (Nasdaq:DITI) announced today that a key patent that covers the Company's cancer pain relief product candidate, Tin-117m, has been awarded to Brookhaven Science Associates, the operator of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,853,695 for "Therapeutic Tin-117m Compositions," covers a method and dose level for the relief of pain associated with cancer in skeletal bone of a human. Tin 117-m is a radioactive substance that delivers a concentrated dose of radiation to the cancer while minimizing bone r bone pain associated with certain cancers," said Richard T. Dean, Ph.D., President and CEO of Diatide. "We ing to American Cancer Society data, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of patients with prostate, breast and lung cancer develop bone metastases which cause bone pain during the late stages of their illness. For initial stages of bone metastn is also used to treat cancer-related bone pain. However, extensive exposure to penetrating radiation may ieting side effects than other radioisotopes. This makes Tin-117m a potentially ideal candidate for cancer pahe Company currently is conducting Phase II trials on Tin-117m -- comparing the candidate to Metastron(R) for safety and effectiveness in treating bone pain -- and plansm-Labeled Stannic (Sn4+) Chelates" which claims Tin-117m compositions. Brookhaven's Tin-117m patent estate protects the product's potential as a treatment for relieving cal and regulatory reviews, will be the first of uticals with commercial and medical promise. To date, the Company has received 37 U. S. patents and has licensed rights to seven more. On September 15, 1998, Diatide annns. Diatide has applied its proprietary technologies in the areas of peptide engineering and radiolabeling c)). For its two lead products, AcuTect(tm) and NeoTect(tm), Diatide has a marketing and sales collaboration wess release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statement materially from those indicated by such forwar fully described in the Certain Factors Company's potential products (other than AcuTect(tm)) are all still in development. There can be no assurance that the claims allowed under the issued patents referred to above as well as the claims in the Company's other issued patents will be broad enough to protect the Company's technology; that any patents issued to the Company will be sustained if challenged in court proceedings, or otherwise; or, that third parties will not develop products or processes that do not infringe any valid patents held by the Company. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company's potential products will demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and cost attributes currently expected by the Company; or that results from preliminary clinical studies will be predictive of results that will be obtained in later clinical studies; there can be no assurance as to when the FDA will complete its review of the NDo assurance that the Company will receive regulatory approvals to commence or continue clinical trials of product candidates; or when or if the Company will complete clinical trials of products, including the one referenced above, any products, including NeoTect(tm); and, there can be no assurance tect(tm), NeoTect(tm), or the Company's other potential products will be commercially successful, or accepted by the medical community or third-party payors, or that technologies, patents and proposed products of other companies will not render the Company's products obsolete or noncompetitive.