Maxim's Apoptosis Inhibitor Protects Against Kidney Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Preclinical Study; Results Presented at the American Transplant Congress Meeting.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--May 6, 2002

Maxim Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq NM: MAXM, SSE: MAXM) announced the results of research suggesting that the company's investigational apoptosis inhibitor MX1122 reduced kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury in a preclinical animal model.

Ischemia/reperfusion injury causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) in tubular kidney cells and is a major risk associated with kidney transplantation. Complications associated with ischemia/reperfusion injury include delayed function of the transplanted kidney, acute transplant rejection, and chronic kidney dysfunction. The results were presented by Dr. Qing Ye, Pittsburgh NMR Center for Biomedical Research, Carnegie Mellon University, at the American Transplant Congress meeting in Washington, D.C.

"The study results suggest that MX1122 may be an effective anti-apoptosis agent in cases of ischemia/reperfusion and may be a useful therapeutic agent to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury and protect renal function in a transplantation setting," said Dr. Ye.

Research Overview

Maxim has developed and is employing a proprietary high-throughput screening system that is targeted to the identification of compounds that can modulate programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Compounds that modulate apoptosis fall into two primary categories:

-- Compounds that induce apoptosis may serve as new drugs for cancer.

-- Compounds that inhibit apoptosis may form the basis for important new drugs
for a wide variety of disease targets, such as myocardial infarction, stroke,
liver failure, sepsis and other degenerative diseases.

MX1122 is a member of one of several novel families of caspase inhibitors identified to date by Maxim through its proprietary apoptosis drug discovery program. MX1122 is an inhibitor of caspases, key enzymes that play a pivotal role in modulating the cellular signaling pathways involved in apoptosis.

In the preclinical study conducted by Dr. Ye and co-researchers, rats were subjected to one hour of ischemia induced by clamping the renal artery and vein of the left kidney, followed by reperfusion upon release of the clamp. MX1122 administered 5 minutes prior to induced ischemia or immediately upon reperfusion resulted in significantly better first-pass perfusion kidney function and suppression of renal cell damage compared to animals not receiving MX1122, measured at 24 hours and 5 days after reperfusion.

"We have identified multiple compounds that have shown the potential to prevent apoptosis in preclinical testing," said Dr. Kurt Gehlsen, senior vice president, development and chief technical officer. "These study results provide further insight into the potential utility of compounds like MX1122 in a range of apoptosis-associated diseases, and complement the earlier preclinical studies of other Maxim compounds in cardiovascular disease. We are pleased with the potential of these apoptosis modulators, and are pursuing corporate collaborations to accelerate their development as we are focusing our internal efforts on cancer and liver diseases."

The company's apoptosis inducer and apoptosis inhibitor compounds represent early-stage, investigational drug candidates, and none have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any international regulatory agency.

Maxim Overview

Maxim Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company with a diverse pipeline of therapeutic candidates for life-threatening cancers and liver diseases. Maxim's research and development programs are designed to offer hope to patients by developing safe and effective therapeutic candidates that have the potential to extend survival while maintaining quality of life. Maxim has attracted an experienced international management group and a team of employees dedicated to commercializing life-enhancing product candidates. Joining this motivated team in its mission are world-leading scientific and clinical investigators and major pharmaceutical development partners.

Maxim's lead drug Ceplene(TM), based on the naturally occurring molecule histamine, is designed to prevent or inhibit oxidative stress, thereby reversing immune suppression and protecting critical immune cells. Ceplene is currently being tested in Phase 3 cancer clinical trials for advanced metastatic melanoma and acute myelogenous leukemia. Phase 2 trials of Ceplene are also underway for the treatment of hepatitis C and advanced renal cell carcinoma. More than 1,300 patients have participated in the company's completed and ongoing clinical trials. Ceplene is an investigational drug and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any international regulatory agency.

Maxim is also developing small-molecule inhibitors and activators of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, that may serve as drug candidates for cancer, cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. The company's third technology platform, MaxDerm(TM), is an investigational drug candidate designed for the treatment of medical conditions for which topical therapy is appropriate such as oral mucositis, herpes, decubitus ulcers, shingles, burns and related conditions.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the efficacy and intended utilization of Ceplene, the apoptosis modulator technology and MaxDerm, and regarding the company's clinical trials. Such statements are only predictions and the company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include the risk that products that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety or efficacy in larger-scale clinical trials, the risk that the company will not obtain approval to market its products, and the risk that clinical trials may not commence when planned. These factors and others are more fully discussed in the company's periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note: Ceplene(TM), MaxDerm(TM) and the Maxim logo are trademarks of the company.

Editor's Note: This release is also available on the Internet at http://www.maxim.com.