PharmaNetics and Aventis Pharmaceuticals Sign Exclusive Agreement for Enoxaparin Test.

Health/Medical Editors

RALEIGH, N.C. & PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2000

PharmaNetics, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: PHAR) and Aventis Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. pharmaceutical company of Aventis S.A. (NYSE: AVE), today announced the signing of a five-year agreement to partner in the development and commercialization of a new therapeutic diagnostic test for use with Aventis Pharmaceuticals' enoxaparin sodium (Lovenox(R)/Clexane(R)).

With 1999 worldwide sales exceeding $780 million, enoxaparin is the number-one selling low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in the world.

"We are pleased to align ourselves with a company that is dedicated to maintaining its market leadership through a comprehensive clinical development program and innovative marketing strategy that will provide value-added services and benefits to their customers," said John Funkhouser, President and CEO of PharmaNetics. "This partnership may serve as a future example for other pharmaceutical companies proactively addressing the needs of the medical community for total healthcare solutions."

The terms of the agreement provide for PharmaNetics to work exclusively with Aventis Pharmaceuticals for a five-year period on a LMWH test card. In return, Aventis has agreed to pay $5 million in milestone payments to PharmaNetics over the next 12 months. The test will be specifically calibrated for optimal response to enoxaparin, and will be unsuitable for use with other LMWHs. Carrying the trade names and corporate logos of both companies, the card will be labeled and indicated for use as an enoxaparin test.

The companies will form two committees to oversee the completion of the test development through filing of registration (510(k)) with the FDA, and will formulate a joint clinical trial and global commercialization strategy. In addition, the agreement includes provisions for the co-development of educational materials for the medical community. PharmaNetics will expand its sales and technical service group to provide access to the technology and training to the 1,000 U.S. medical centers that will be the focus of the initial program. The Aventis Pharmaceuticals sales force will be provided with the training, literature and materials necessary to inform physicians of the test's utility in managing patients receiving enoxaparin for certain indications and its availability through PharmaNetics.

"Numerous studies have already established Lovenox as a safe and effective replacement for unfractionated heparin for existing indications because of its unique pharmacological properties and predictable anticoagulant response," said Gerald P. Belle, President, Aventis Pharmaceuticals North America. "However, there may be certain situations where providing physicians with this test will enable them to customize treatment regimens and optimize care. This will increase the product's value to physicians and its benefits to their patients."

Enoxaparin was approved in the U.S. and Canada in 1993, and is indicated for the prevention and treatment of deep-vein thrombosis, unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction. Enoxaparin is marketed under the trade name Lovenox in the U.S. and the brand names Lovenox, Clexane and Klexane(R) in other parts of the world.

PharmaNetics' technology is uniquely capable of evaluating drugs that influence both clot formation and dissolution and, as such, the Company's strategy is to expand its menu by developing theranostic tests to assess multiple therapeutic agents. The Company intends to provide physicians with a single platform capable of monitoring numerous antithrombotic therapies, both those on the market as well as those being investigated in the treatment of diseases such as sepsis, stroke, unstable angina, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary and arterial emboli.

Aventis Pharmaceuticals conducts the U.S. business of Aventis Pharma AG, the pharmaceutical company of Aventis S.A. (NYSE: AVE). Aventis Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to treating and preventing human disease through the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of innovative pharmaceutical products aimed at satisfying unmet medical needs. Aventis Pharmaceuticals focuses on important therapeutic areas such as cardiology, oncology, infectious diseases, arthritis, allergies and respiratory disorders, diabetes, and central nervous system disorders. The corporate headquarters for Aventis Pharmaceuticals is in Parsippany, N.J.

Aventis Pharma comprises Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Aventis Pasteur, a world leader in vaccines, with corporate headquarters in Lyon, France; and Aventis Behring, a world leader in therapeutic proteins, with corporate headquarters in King of Prussia, Pa. The corporate headquarters of Aventis Pharma is in Frankfurt, Germany.

One of the world's leading life sciences companies, Aventis S.A. is focused on two core business areas: pharmaceuticals and agriculture. With global headquarters in Strasbourg, France, Aventis employs around 95,000 people in more than120 countries. Aventis was created in December 1999 by the combination of Hoechst AG and Rhone-Poulenc, S.A.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of PharmaNetics that involve risks and uncertainties, such as risks related to market acceptance, clinical trials and dependence on third-party distributors and collaborative partners that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Information concerning these and other of the factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the Company's SEC filings, including Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports.

Statements in this news release other than historical information are forward-looking statements subject to risk and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially depending on factors such as the availability of resources, the timing and effects of regulatory actions, the strength of competition, the outcome of litigation, and the effectiveness of patent protection. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties is set forth in the current Annual Report on Form 20-F of Aventis on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.