Discovery Presents Surfaxin-TM ARDS Clinical Data At Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society and American Lung Association.

DOYLESTOWN, PA--(BW HEALTHWIRE)--May 10, 1999--

Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSCO) announced today that it recently presented the findings from its initial Phase 1B trial in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at the Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society and American Lung Association in San Diego. This conference is attended by more than 13,000 physicians. The results of this study have been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Thomas Wiswell, Discovery's Vice-President of Clinical Research, informed the annual meeting that using Discovery's proprietary surfactant, Surfaxin-TM with its patented bronchopulmonary segmental lavage procedure was safe and well-tolerated. In addition, he pointed out that findings suggest that treating ARDS patients with Surfaxin-TM via the lavage technique has the potential to significantly reduce mortality and the number of days that patients would otherwise remain on mechanical ventilation.

Dr. Wiswell informed the group that there is a great deal of interest in the medical community for this approach to the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Acute Lung Injury (ALI). "We are excited about Discovery's ongoing Phase 2/3 trial using this potentially lifesaving therapy in patients who have predominantly direct lung injury," stated Dr. Wiswell. Dr. R. Duncan Hite, Director of Critical Care Research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center stated: "This is a promising and innovative therapy that has the potential to help many patients for whom there is currently no available approved treatment."

ARDS/ALI affects approximately 250,000 patients per year in the US and a similar number in Europe. There are currently no drugs approved to treat ARDS/ALI, which has a mortality rate of about 50%. Discovery's Surfaxin-TM has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for the treatment of ARDS/ALI.

Discovery is a bio-pharmaceutical company whose mission is to develop and commercialize medically novel therapeutics for critical care. Presently, Discovery is developing proprietary pharmaceuticals to treat direct acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) and cystic fibrosis. More information about Discovery is available on the Company's web site at: www.discoverylabs.com.

To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Among the factors which could affect the company's actual results and could cause results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements contained herein are the risk that financial conditions may change, risks relating to the progress of the company's research and development and the development of competing therapies and/or technologies by other companies. Those associated risks and others are further described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.