ABBOTT LABORATORIES ANNOUNCES STUDY TO MAKE D2E7 (ADALIMUMAB) AVAILABLE TO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) PATIENTS IN NEED

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ABBOTT LABORATORIES ANNOUNCES STUDY TO MAKE D2E7 (ADALIMUMAB) AVAILABLE TO

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) PATIENTS IN NEED

‹U.S. ACCESS TO THERAPY (ACT) IN RA STUDY OPEN TO PATIENTS FAILING

TRADITIONAL DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTI-RHEUMATIC DRUGS (DMARDS)‹

Abbott Park, Illinois, October 9, 2002 ‹ Abbott Laboratories announced today

the initiation of a study to make its investigational medication, D2E7

(adalimumab), available to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in need of

additional treatment options in several countries around the world. In the

United States, the program is called the Access to Therapy (ACT) in RA study

and it will allow patients with moderately to severely active RA who have

failed treatment with one or more traditional disease-modifying

anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to receive D2E7. Similar programs are being

initiated in Europe.

D2E7 is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products

(EMEA) following Abbott's simultaneous submissions earlier this year.

" In my experience with RA patients, it is critically important to have

multiple treatment options, " said Dr. Arthur Weaver, M.D, clinical professor

of medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center. " D2E7 has been

extensively evaluated in clinical trials and the availability of D2E7 gives

rheumatologists another option for patients who have had an inadequate

response to available therapies or do not have access to certain

medications. "

In the United States, the ACT study is designed as an open-label,

multi-center study for patients with moderately to severely active RA who

have failed one or more traditional DMARDs. Patients will receive D2E7 via

subcutaneous injection with or without other DMARDs and responses will be

evaluated at defined intervals. Those who achieve at least a 20 percent

improvement in RA signs and symptoms (as measured by a decrease in tender

and/or swollen joint counts) will be able to remain in the study.

" The ACT study is part of our commitment to help rheumatologists and RA

patients fight this debilitating disease, " said Jeff Leiden, M.D., Ph.D.,

president and chief operating officer, Pharmaceutical Products Group, and

chief scientific officer, Abbott Laboratories. " As we have done in other

therapeutic areas, we remain committed to developing and making promising

treatments available to patients in need. "

Physicians and patients in the United States who are interested in this

study can obtain more information by calling 1-800-553-1618 or visiting the

Abbott Web site at www.abbottimmunology.com. Abbott is also working with

regulatory agencies in countries around the world to initiate similar

programs. Based on local regulatory requirements, study design and protocol

may differ. Currently, D2E7 has been made available via patient named basis

programs or study protocols to patients in Europe.

About D2E7

D2E7 was developed as the first fully human monoclonal antibody for RA. D2E7

works by specifically blocking the activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha

(TNF-alpha), which plays a central role in the inflammatory responses of

autoimmune diseases such as RA. Regulatory submissions in the United States

and Europe are based on data from 23 clinical trials involving more than

2,300 RA patients in North America, Europe and Australia. Clinical trials

with D2E7 are also underway in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and

Crohn's disease.

D2E7 was discovered through a broad scientific collaboration between Abbott

and Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT). As part of the collaboration,

Abbott had the right to select several target antigens for which a joint

Abbott/CAT research team would discover human antibody therapeutics. D2E7

was isolated and optimized by Abbott and CAT as part of this collaboration.

Abbott owns exclusive worldwide rights to D2E7, including responsibility for

manufacturing, clinical development, sales and marketing. Abbott will book

all revenues for D2E7, and CAT will receive a royalty fee based on D2E7

sales.

About RA

More than five million people worldwide suffer from RA, a chronic autoimmune

disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints of hands,

feet and wrists, and often leads to the destruction of joints. This joint

destruction can be severely debilitating, potentially leading to deformities

in the hands and the feet. Unlike osteoarthritis, the most common form of

arthritis, RA is an autoimmune disease where joints are inflamed, resulting

in eventual destruction of the joint's interior and the surrounding bone.

The long-term prognosis for patients with RA is poor, and as a result, many

patients face increased disability and premature death.

Abbott's Commitment to Immunology

Abbott Laboratories is committed to the discovery and development of

innovative treatments for immunologic diseases. Founded in 1989, the Abbott

Bioresearch Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a world-class discovery

and basic research facility committed to finding new treatments for

autoimmune diseases. Abbott Bioresearch Center employs leading-edge

technologies, discovery and manufacturing processes, including proprietary

phage antibody display technology, and mammalian cell expression systems to

produce fully human monoclonal antibodies.

Abbott Laboratories is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to

the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals,

nutritionals, and medical products, including devices and diagnostics. The

company employs approximately 70,000 people and markets its products in more

than 130 countries.

http://abbott.com/news/press_release.cfm