SangStat Announces Key Scientific and Clinical Trial Data Accepted for Presentation At Major Transplant Meetings; 20 Papers Including New Clinical Data On Thymoglobulin and Cyclosporine.

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--April 29, 1998--SangStat, The Transplant Company(R) (NASDAQ:SANG), announced today that 20 peer-reviewed, scientific and clinical papers from SangStat researchers, clinicians and co-investigators will be presented at the ASTP and ASTS annual meetings to be held next month.

Most of these papers describe the results of several studies utilizing SangStat's drug candidates, and advance the Company's position as a leader in transplantation research. The annual meetings of the American Society of Transplant Physicians (ASTP) and Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) are being held in Chicago, May 9-16 and are the principal scientific meetings for transplant professionals in the U.S. with attendance expected in excess of 3,000.

The ASTP and ASTS follow a stringent peer-review process involving transplant physicians, scientists, and surgeons from leading transplant centers in the United States, for selecting papers for presentation at these meetings. Of 26 papers submitted by SangStat researchers, clinicians and co-investigators, 20 have been accepted of which 9 will be oral podium presentations. Data on several product candidates and technologies will be presented including CYCLOSPORINE, THYMOGLOBULIN(R), CELSIOR(R) and ALLOTRAP(R) peptides.

"We are very pleased to see that SangStat's scientific and clinical research has received this high degree of recognition from prominent members of the transplant community," said Philippe Pouletty, M.D. Chairman and CEO. "It is this growing reputation for quality research and product candidates that is helping us establish collaborations for research, clinical trials and our Transplant Pharmacy, and build loyalty amongst our future customers." -0-

CYCLOSPORINE

i)   SangStat investigators will make an oral presentation on the
     first clinical trial results with the Company's proprietary
     CYCLOSPORINE candidate, Sang-35, in liver transplant recipients.
     The transplant community has emphasized the value of reproducible
     bioequivalence data in different patient populations and liver
     recipients offer a stringent model for evaluation of cyclosporine
     pharmacokinetics.

ii)  Results of an additional trial assessing cyclosporine metabolites
     for Sang-35 and Neoral(R) will be reviewed in an oral podium
     presentation. Cyclosporine metabolites are an important parameter
     of drug clearance in patients. The Company continues to plan and
     conduct trials in different populations of organ transplant
     recipients, such as heart transplant and pediatric recipients,
     and expects to present the results of these trials at future
     scientific meetings.

iii) SangStat researchers are also presenting the first proof of
     principle results with its novel home blood collection device,
     CycloStat(TM), for CYCLOSPORINE blood level monitoring.

     SangStat filed an application (AADA) for market clearance of its
Neoral-bioequivalent CYCLOSPORINE with the FDA in November, 1996 and
the application is now under late stage review at the agency. Neoral
is the leading formulation of cyclosporine, an immunosuppressive drug
used in human organ transplantation to prevent graft rejection.
Worldwide sales of Novartis' cyclosporines in 1997 are reported at
$1.3 billion.

Key presentations will include:

--   Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Sang-35 Cyclosporine Versus
     Neoral(R) in Stable Adult Liver Transplant Recipients; Shi-Hui
     Pan, et al., National Institute of Transplantation

--   Bioequivalence of Sang-35 and Neoral for Cyclosporine Metabolites
     in Stable Renal Transplant Recipients; Rita R. Alloway, et al.,
     University of Tennessee

--   Extraction and Quantification of Cyclosporine From Whole Blood
     Samples Collected With the CycloStat(TM) Collection Device; Jeff
     Regan, et al., SangStat Medical Corporation

THYMOGLOBULIN

i)   New data on the long-term follow-up (mean 16.5 months, range
     12-22 months) of the first U.S. double blinded trial evaluating
     THYMOGLOBULIN (anti-thymocyte globulin, rabbit) vs. ATGAM(R)
     (anti-thymocyte globulin, horse) for induction therapy, at the
     time of transplant, to prevent acute graft rejection in kidney
     transplant patients will be presented at the ASTP. The
     presentation will include key results on graft and patient
     survival as well as the longer-term follow-up of the earlier
     reported endpoints of graft rejection, event free survival and
     adverse events at 12 months.

ii)  Twelve month results of SangStat's U.S. pivotal Phase III trial
     at 28 centers with THYMOGLOBULIN for the treatment of acute
     rejection episodes in kidney transplant recipients will also be
     presented at the joint plenary session of the two meetings.

     Based on the results of the induction trial, SangStat intends to
conduct further studies with THYMOGLOBULIN for the prevention of
rejection, as part of its development program for this new indication
in the United States. An application for market clearance of
THYMOGLOBULIN for the treatment of rejection is currently in late
stage review at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Key presentations will include:

--   A Randomized Double Blinded Comparison of Thymoglobulin vs. Atgam
     for Induction for Adult Renal Transplant Recipients; D. Brennan,
     et al., Washington University, St. Louis

--   12 Month Intent to Treat Analysis of the Double Blind Randomized
     Multicenter Thymoglobulin vs. Atgam Trial for the Treatment of
     Acute Rejection Following Renal Transplantation; E. Steve Woodle,
     for the U.S. Multicenter Thymoglobulin Study Group

--   Correlation Between Banff Criteria and Outcome at 12 Months
     Following Acute Rejection In Multicenter Randomized Trial; L.
     Moore, et al., SangStat Medical Corporation

CELSIOR

     This week SangStat completes patient enrollment in its North
American multicenter clinical trial comparing CELSIOR to the local
standard of care in heart preservation. In an oral presentation, a
principal investigator will review the study design and preliminary
results. Pending the final results of this study, a 510(k) will be
prepared for submission to the FDA later in the year.

Key presentations will include:

--   Prospective, Randomized Multicenter Trial Comparing Celsior to
     Standard Cardiac Preservation Solutions; D. Vega, et al., Emory
     University

ALLOTRAP PEPTIDES

     SangStat continues to advance its development of the novel
ALLOTRAP peptides for the promotion of graft acceptance. Several
presentations focus on recent research into the mode of action of
these peptides and the rational drug design of improved peptides.

Key presentations will include:

--   Prolongation of Rat Allograft Survival Following Therapy With
     Rationally Designed Immunosuppressive Peptides: Analysis of the
     Mechanism of Action; Cristina Cuturi, et al., University of
     Nantes
-0-

COMPLIANCE

Earlier this month over 300 people attended the First International Symposium on Transplant Recipient Compliance held in Arlington, VA. A multidisciplinary group of transplant professionals, including physicians and surgeons, nurse coordinators and social workers, as well as transplant recipients made presentations on topics including: critical issues influencing transplantation compliance; measuring compliance rates in different transplant environments; impact of compliance on transplant outcomes; and intervention strategies for increasing transplant recipient compliance. SangStat was proud to support this meeting with an unrestricted educational grant.

Co-chairman Robert S. Gaston, M.D. has been invited to speak on The Impact of Patient Compliance in a satellite symposium on Risk Factors and Determinants of Long-Term Graft Outcome at the ASTP annual meeting. His presentation will highlight some of the key issues that came out of this landmark symposium.

"The ASTP and ASTS meetings are important forums for scientific exchange and dialog with members of the transplant community," said Philippe Pouletty, M.D. Chairman and CEO. He continued, "With our diverse research and clinical development programs, the growing number of centers participating in our Transplant Pharmacy Program, and the mounting anticipation of the potential near term approval of our two lead therapeutics, we continue to strengthen our reputation as The Transplant Company(R)."

SangStat is a specialty pharmaceutical company applying a disease management approach to improve the outcome of organ transplantation. SangStat has a total of 12 monitoring and therapeutic product and product candidates to address the pre-transplant, acute care and chronic phases of transplantation. SangStat is in Menlo Park, California, and operates The Transplant Pharmacy(R), a comprehensive pharmacotherapy management program, and wholly-owned subsidiaries, SangStat Atlantique S.A., SangStat's European base of operations in Nantes, France, SangStat Canada, Ltd. in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and XenoStat, Inc., in Menlo Park, California.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements reflect SangStat's current views with respect to future events. Actual results may vary materially and adversely from those anticipated, believed, estimated, or otherwise indicated. Important factors common to the regulatory review and approval process could cause actual results to differ materially with regard to the approvability and possible market acceptance of SangStat's finished CYCLOSPORINE drug product and THYMOGLOBULIN. These factors include, without limitation: (1) that data obtained from clinical trials are subject to varying interpretations, and there can be no assurance that the agencies (or the agencies' panel of experts) will agree with SangStat's assessment of clinical trial results or proposed labels; (2) that there can be no assurance that the agencies will not issue new guidelines, guidance documents, policies, or regulations or otherwise have new, different or previously unknown requirements that may materially affect the approvability of the products, (3) that there can be no assurance that final labeling can be agreed upon in a timely manner; (4) that there can be no assurance that any manufacturing or control issues will be adequately resolved to the agencies' satisfaction; (5) that there can be no assurance that any current or future questions relating to the FDA's review of the AADA, PLA or ELA applications or to the inspection of the THYMOGLOBULIN manufacturing facility can be adequately answered to FDA's satisfaction; and (6) that there can be no assurance of regulatory approval of either CYCLOSPORINE or THYMOGLOBULIN.

Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation, uncertainty related to the current or future manufacturing of commercial quantities of CYCLOSPORINE and THYMOGLOBULIN on commercially favorable terms, adequate and continuous supply of bulk CYCLOSPORINE drug substance, market acceptance, profitability, competition and potential litigation. For a discussion of other factors that might result in different outcomes, see SangStat's 1997 Form 10-K, in particular "Risks Associated With CYCLOSPORINE" set forth therein, and the Company's filings on Forms 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission. -0-

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