MGI PHARMA Announces the Presentation of Salagen Tablets Data By RTOG At 2001 ASTRO Meeting.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2001

Pilocarpine improved salivary flow when used during radiation therapy

for head and neck cancer patients

MGI PHARMA, INC., (Nasdaq:MOGN) today announced that the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) presented final results on data regarding the Company's Salagen(R) Tablets product at this year's American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting held in San Francisco on November 4-8, 2001. The resulting data were discussed by Dr. Charles W. Scarantino, lead investigator of the RTOG study on Salagen Tablets, in his presentation entitled: "A Phase 3 study on the concurrent use of pilocarpine to reduce hyposalivation and mucositis associated with radiation therapy in head an neck cancer patients - final results of RTOG 97-09."

Study Data

The RTOG presented data showing that use of Salagen(R) Tablets (pilocarpine hydrochloride), MGI's approved product to treat the symptoms of radiation-induced dry mouth, gave a statistically significant improvement of salivary flow versus placebo in head and neck cancer patients receiving curative radiation therapy. This Phase 3 trial, with 244 eligible patients, showed the pilocarpine group, who received active drug during radiation therapy and up to six months post therapy, had significantly better salivary flow than did the placebo group at end of radiation therapy, and at three-month and six-month follow-up visits. Based on these findings, RTOG concluded that these results provide new support for the use of Salagen Tablets during radiation treatment.

One of the main side effects of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients is dry mouth, a condition that can be permanent, according to Dr. Scarantino, a radiation oncologist with the Rex Healthcare Center, Raleigh, NC, and Southeastern Cancer Control Consortium. "We are quite pleased with the results of the study in that by taking pilocarpine three or four times a day in pill form, salivary flow was better than taking placebo," said Dr. Scarantino. "These were just the results we were hoping for and we believe we can now build on this study in the future. These clinical results are of real importance to cancer patients."

Dr. Scarantino said that although the drug had a real impact on dry mouth symptoms, it did not have an effect on mucositis, another side-effect of radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. Mucositis is a painful condition associated with inflammation of the mucous membrane.

About Salagen(R) Tablets

MGI developed and markets Salagen Tablets for the treatment of chronic dry mouth symptoms associated with head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation, and with Sjogren's syndrome patients. MGI has marketed Salagen Tablets in the United States for the cancer-related indication since 1994 and the Sjogren's syndrome indication since 1998. Salagen Tablets are the first and only prescription medication approved in the United States for treating dry mouth symptoms associated with both of these patient populations. Chronic dry mouth can be a potentially painful and debilitating condition. Salagen Tablets stimulate the exocrine glands, including the salivary glands, to increase their moisture-producing activity.

When head and neck cancer patients receive radiation treatment, this therapy often damages the salivary glands and their ability to produce moisture. Salagen Tablets can stimulate the glands to generate more moisture.

Salagen Tablets do not work for everyone and are contraindicated when uncontrolled asthma is present and when miosis is undesirable. When used for radiation-induced xerostomia, the most common side effect is sweating. Although less frequent, in some people, headache, flushing, and frequent urination can also occur. When used for Sjogren's syndrome, the most common side effect is sweating, and in some people, chills, flushing, and frequent urination can occur.

About RTOG

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) is a federally funded cancer clinical trials cooperative group, which carries out multi-disciplinary research nationwide. It is a major clinical research component of the American College of Radiology.

About MGI PHARMA

MGI PHARMA, Inc. is an oncology-focused pharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and commercializes proprietary products that address unmet cancer patient needs. MGI is building a balanced product portfolio of proprietary pharmaceuticals, and intends to become a leader in oncology. The Company focuses its sales efforts solely in the United States and collaborates with other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies for its products in international markets. For more information about MGI, please visit the Company's Web site at www.mgipharma.com.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are typically preceded by words such as "believes," " expects," "anticipates," "intends," "will," "may," "should," or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of MGI PHARMA's future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in these statements. Factors that might cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of MGI PHARMA's product candidates to be proven safe and effective in humans and to ultimately compete successfully with other therapies; continued sales of MGI PHARMA's marketed products; development or acquisition of additional products; reliance on contract manufacturing; changes in strategic alliances; continued access to capital; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including in Exhibit 99 to its most recently filed Form 10-Q or 10-K. MGI PHARMA undertakes no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements to conform them to actual results.