Muro Pharmaceutical and Sanofi-Synthelabo Make Announcement.

TEWKSBURY, Mass./NEW YORK--(BW Healthwire)--Sept. 15, 1999--

Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc. today announced that Muro had acquired the marketing and distribution rights for Dynabac(R) (dirithromycin tablets) in the United States. Effective October 1, 1999, Muro Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of ASTA Medica AG, Germany, will become the exclusive U.S. marketer of this significant macrolide antibiotic, which was recently granted supplementary FDA approval for the acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Dynabac(R) will immediately become a top priority for Muro's respiratory-focused sales force and managed care team. Muro will acquire Sanofi's entire existing Dynabac(R) inventory and will continue to purchase from Sanofi thereafter.

"Dynabac(R) is an excellent fit with our existing respiratory portfolio, so this is another major step forward in development of our American business," said Colin Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc. "Top prescribers of macrolide antibiotics closely match those of our other products, including Volmax(R) (albuterol sulfate) extended-release tablets."

"Sanofi-Synthelabo is a world leader in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, thrombosis and sleep disorders," said Jeffrey P. Brennan, Vice President of Business Development for Sanofi-Synthelabo. "With the success in the U.S. of Avapro(R) and Plavix(R) and the imminent arrival of Ambien(R), we find it necessary to maintain a strong focus on these key therapeutic areas, which offer us the greatest opportunities for continued growth."

"Due to this focus," Mr. Brennan added, "the sales force of Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc. isn't configured to properly promote this product. We are pleased to sign this agreement with Muro. We believe its respiratory sales force will maximize the sales of Dynabac(R)."

Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc. is a United States subsidiary of ASTA Medica AG, a research based, international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany. ASTA Medica AG is a billion dollar a year company with leading products in the fields of anticancer drugs, central nervous system agents, and respiratory therapies. The ASTA Medica group is represented by thirty-five subsidiaries in more than thirty countries.

Sanofi-Synthelabo is among the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies, with 33,000 employees in more than 100 countries and annual sales in excess of $6 billion. Headquarters are in Paris; U.S. headquarters are in New York City.