West Pharmaceutical Services and T3 Therapeutics Announce Collaborative Agreement to Develop Oral Sustained Release Liothyronine.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

LIONVILLE, Pa. and MANHASSETT, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 29, 2003

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST) and T3 Therapeutics LLC today announced that they have signed a worldwide licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of an oral sustained release formulation of liothyronine (T3), used for the treatment of congestive heart failure and hypothyroidism.

Liothyronine is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the thyroid gland that is deficient in patients with congestive heart failure and with hypothyroidism, where it often causes cardiovascular disease. Currently, liothyronine is taken orally by patients suffering from hypothyroidism. According to the American Thyroid Association, hypothyroidism can lead to the buildup of cholesterol in the vascular system and can cause plaque (hardening of the arteries), which can increase the risk of heart attack.

"Our agreement with West Pharmaceutical Services marks an important milestone in realizing our goal to develop formulations of liothyronine (T3) for the treatment of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases," said Dr. Irwin Klein, President of T3 Therapeutics LLC.

Despite their popularity, traditional oral delivery systems are not without problems. For example, the oral delivery of some drugs is associated with relatively poor drug bioavailability and highly variable blood drug levels, thereby requiring multiple dosing, which can compromise cost effectiveness and patient compliance. West's innovative formulation technologies are used to regulate the oral delivery of pharmaceuticals, allowing for the controlled release of the drug into the blood stream. In the case of hypothyroidism, the precise amount of liothyronine released into the bloodstream has a significant effect on the patient's therapeutic benefit.

According to Dr. Bruce Morra, President of West's Drug Delivery Systems Division, "Our collaboration with T3 Therapeutics builds on West's considerable expertise in formulation development of dosage forms and complements our solid base in nasal delivery technologies, bioanalytical evaluation and analytical development. Although it is in its early stages, we believe this program, if successful, can lead to improved therapies for millions of patients worldwide."

About West Pharmaceutical Services Drug Delivery Systems Division

West Pharmaceutical Services Drug Delivery Systems Division provides clients with the science, engineering and know-how necessary to take pharmaceutical products to the market. West's innovative product development has led to significant proprietary technologies in nasal formulations for systemic or local delivery, advanced oral delivery systems, transmucosal vaccine delivery and parenteral drug delivery.

Additionally, West supports its clients in all aspects of pharmaceutical development, from initial feasibility studies to formulation optimization and product development. For more information visit www.westdrugdelivery.com.

About T3 Therapeutics Corporation

T3 Therapeutics LLC is an early stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of thyroid hormone based therapies for human disease states. T3 Therapeutics has identified the potential for and currently holds a U.S. patent for T3 based therapies for heart failure and for the over 20 million patients with hypothyroidism currently being treated with T4 alone.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST) is a global drug delivery technology company that applies proprietary materials science, formulation research and manufacturing innovation to advance the quality, therapeutic value, development speed and rapid market availability of pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. West is the world's premiere provider of standard-setting systems and device components for parenterally administered medicines and an emerging leader in the development of advanced formulation technologies for the transmucosal delivery of drugs. Internationally headquartered in Lionville, Pennsylvania, West supports its partners and customers from 50 locations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Asia and the Pacific and Australia. For more information visit West at www.westpharma.com.

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