Interleukin Genetics Announces Completion of SNP Discovery in Key Inflammation Genes.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 7, 2001

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILGN) announced today the completion of the first phase of its Inflammatory Gene SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) Discovery Project. In this phase, the company focused on interleukin-1, the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, and several closely related genes, which are important in determining how the body mounts an inflammatory response to injury and disease. The project involved sequencing several hundred kilobases of DNA, including all coding and regulatory regions, from 25 persons of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. It resulted in the discovery of greater than 130 SNPs, of which 89 were novel SNPs that do not exist in public databases. The company believes that it has defined about 95% of the SNPs in this region that occur with a frequency of 5% or greater in humans.

"I am very pleased with the completion of this phase of the project," said Phil Reilly, CEO of Interleukin Genetics, Inc. "It moves us an important step closer to our goal of being the leading source of knowledge about the genetic factors underlying inflammation. These data will be invaluable in developing our coronary artery disease risk assessment test. We will quickly develop a comprehensive set of haplotypes that will enable us to correlate genetic variation both with risk for disease and with response to therapy. We will also promptly determine the role that the functional SNPs (those that alter protein structure and expression) we have discovered play in health and disease." "This represents the first phase of a broader, comprehensive program to study genetic variation in a dozen or so genes that play a major role in inflammatory disease", commented Ken Kornman, the company's Chief Scientific Officer. "For example, we plan to conduct a similar project on TNF-alpha soon."

"In addition," said Reilly, "Early in 2002 we will launch our first pharmacogenetic Database of SNPs and Haplotypes comprised of genes that influence inflammation and shape the response to anti-inflammatory drugs. This database will be annotated to include public and non-public functional data, haplotype patterns associated with risk for disease and/or response to therapy, and prevalence data on selected SNPs in several ethnic populations. We believe it will be of substantial value to pharmaceutical and biotech companies that have research programs to develop anti-inflammatory therapies. We will offer subscriptions to the database on a non-exclusive basis."

About Interleukin

Interleukin Genetics is a pharmacogenetics company focused on a personalized approach to medicine. The company has identified a number of IL-1 genetic variations and established their role in several inflammatory diseases. The company develops and commercializes risk assessment and pharmacogenetic tests based on genetic factors that regulate control points in the inflammatory process and, through collaboration with others, applies genetics in the development of therapeutics. The company has a growing portfolio of patents covering the genetics of several diseases and is developing products addressing rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular, osteoporosis, and complications of diabetes. The company markets PST(R), a risk assessment test for periodontal disease that is currently available in the U.S. and most of Europe.

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risk of market acceptance of Company products, ability of the Company to raise necessary capital, risk of technology and products obsolescence, delays in development of products, reliance on partners, competitive risks and those risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Form S-3 as amended, filed on March 5, 2001 (Commission file #333-56558), and the Company's Report on Form 8-K dated May 29, 2001, and in other filings made by the Company with Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.