News about TOBI

[Guest guest]

Let us hope that Chiron is correct! A great advance, if this is actually

the case, which it may well be!

Thank you, Torsten and

Love to all at cfparents,

n Rojas

[Guest guest]

PR Newswire June 4, 2003, Wednesday 2:00 AM Eastern

Time HEADLINE: Chiron Presents Positive TOBI® Tobramycin Solution for

Inhalation Data At 26th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference; Study Shows

TOBI Treatment Reduces Hospitalizations for Young Cystic

Fibrosis

Patients with Asymptomatic or Mild Lung Disease by 50 percent;

Update on Progress in Inhaled Therapeutics Franchise

DATELINE: EMERYVILLE, Calif., June 4

Chiron Corporation (Nasdaq: CHIR) today announced that it has

presented the

results of a TOBI® tobramycin solution for inhalation study at the 26th

European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Belfast. The study, which

involved 184

cystic fibrosis (CF) patients ages 6-15 years, showed that subjects

undergoing

TOBI treatment in conjunction with routine care were significantly less

likely

to be hospitalized for respiratory symptoms or to be treated with oral

antibiotics than those undergoing routine care alone. TOBI, for CF

patients with chronic pseudomonal lung infection, is the

cornerstone of Chiron's inhaled therapeutics franchise. In addition to

the

study results presented at the European Cystic Fibrosis Conference,

Chiron has

seen recent positive data on TOBI's efficacy in decreasing Pseudomonas

aeruginosa (Pa) in pediatric patients as well as in treating chronic

bronchiectasis, indicating a potential role for the drug in treatment of

these diseases. Chiron is also evaluating data on aerosolized

cyclosporine,

which it recently acquired from Novartis, for the treatment of acute lung

transplant

rejection.

" TOBI has achieved strong penetration and compliance in the segment

of CF

patients with moderate and severe disease, and now we are seeing its

value in

earlier stages of the disease as well, " said Craig Wheeler, president of

Chiron

's biopharmaceuticals business unit. " Chiron is dedicated to growing its

strong pulmonology presence in order to benefit more patients. "

TOBI Tobramycin Solution for Inhalation Study Results

Chiron sponsored an open-label, randomized, multicenter, controlled

trial of

TOBI treatment (300 milligrams of tobramycin solution for inhalation

administered twice daily for one month on-drug, one month off-drug) in

184

subjects over 14 months, which revealed a significantly higher incidence

of

respiratory hospitalizations in the control group under routine care

relative to

subjects treated with TOBI in addition to routine care. In the control

arm, 26 percent of subjects were hospitalized; in the treatment arm, 11

percent

were hospitalized (p < 0.01). Adverse events seen in the treatment arm

were

consistent with previous studies of TOBI (hoarseness, cough, sore throat

and

tinnitus), were not severe and were transient. The study concluded that

the use

of TOBI in young CF patients infected with Pa and with mild lung disease

appears

to decrease the rate of hospitalization and concomitant antibiotic use

and may slow the rate of spirometric decline.

Data published in the March 15, 2003, American Journal of Respiratory

and

Critical Care Medicine showed that TOBI had a significant microbiological

effect

in decreasing Pa in young children with CF. A double-blind,

placebo-controlled,

multicenter, randomized trial in 21 children under age 6 showed that TOBI

treatment (300 milligrams of tobramycin solution for inhalation

administered

twice daily for 28 days) resulted in a profound decrease in Pa density

from the

lower airway of young children with CF. The trial was stopped early

because the

risk of additional bronchoscopies was deemed unacceptable in light of the

evidence of a significant microbiological treatment effect -- Pa was

eradicated

in 8 of 8 TOBI-treated patients compared with 1 of 13 placebo patients (p

<

0.001). No safety concerns were observed for TOBI in these young

children based

on adverse events, serum tobramycin concentrations, renal function,

audiology testing, tobramycin MICs (minimal inhibitory concentrations)

and lack of

emergence of new pathogens. At the end of 2003, Chiron will initiate the

ELITE

(EarLy Intervention TOBI Eradication) trial in Europe to further study

the

benefits of TOBI in treatment of early onset Pa in CF patients. Data

from a recent study of TOBI in patients with bronchiectasis, a

chronic

pulmonary disease often complicated by complex gram-negative respiratory

infection, were presented at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in

Seattle in May. In an open-label, multicenter clinical trial, 41

subjects were

treated

with TOBI (300 milligrams of tobramycin solution for inhalation

administered

twice daily for three cycles of 14 days on-drug followed by 14 days

off-drug) to evaluate pulmonary symptom scores, respiratory quality of

life and

microbiologic efficacy. As seen in a previous study, a minority of

subjects (N=10) did

not tolerate chronic TOBI and withdrew from the study due to adverse

events

characterized by cough, wheezing or dyspnea. Subjects completing the

trial

showed significantly improved pulmonary symptom scores (p < 0.001) and

benefited

from TOBI with respect to respiratory symptoms and quality of life.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that primarily affects

people of

Caucasian origin. About 30,000 people in the United States and about

70,000

people worldwide have CF. Patients with CF have abnormal movement of

salt in

and out of the cells lining their lungs, which leads to secretion of

thick, sticky mucus that supports bacteria growth. Pseudomonas

aeruginosa (Pa)

is the most common bacterium causing lung infections in people with CF.

By the

age of 17, nearly 70 percent of people with CF have Pa in their lungs. Pa

infections cause lung inflammation and -- through cycles of inflammation,

obstruction and infection -- lead to deterioration of lung function, at

an estimated

average rate of 1.4 percent to 4 percent per year. Treatment of CF lung

disease

is aimed at controlling infection, reducing lung obstruction and

decreasing

inflammation.

About TOBI Tobramycin Solution for Inhalation TOBI® tobramycin

solution for inhalation is an antibiotic approved

in the United States and Europe for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF)

patients with

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium frequently found in the lungs of

these

patients. Each ready-to-use ampule of TOBI contains 300 milligrams of

tobramycin in a 5-milliliter solution. TOBI is inhaled twice daily, for

about

15 minutes each time, in repeated cycles of 28 days on-drug, 28 days

off-drug.

The dose is the same for all patients regardless of weight, age or other

factors. Safety and efficacy have not been demonstrated in patients

under the

age of 6 years, patients with forced expiratory volume in one second

(FEV1) less

than 25 percent or greater than 75 percent of predicted, or in patients

colonized with Burkholderia cepacia. In controlled clinical trials, TOBI

was

well-tolerated, with voice alteration (13 percent versus 7 percent) and

tinnitus

(3 percent versus 0 percent) being the only adverse events reported by

significantly more patients treated with TOBI than placebo. Patients

with known

or suspected renal, auditory, vestibulars or neuromuscular dysfunction

should

use caution when taking TOBI.

About Chiron

Chiron Corporation, headquartered in Emeryville, California, is a

global

pharmaceutical company that leverages a diverse business model to develop

and

commercialize high-value products that make a difference in people's

lives. The

company has a strategic focus on cancer and infectious disease. Chiron

applies its advanced understanding of the biology of cancer and

infectious

disease to develop products from its platforms in proteins, small

molecules and

vaccines. The company commercializes its products through three business

units:

biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and blood testing. For more information

about

Chiron, visit the company's website at www.chiron.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including

statements

regarding sales growth, product development initiatives, new product

marketing, acquisitions and in- and out-licensing activities that involve

risks and

uncertainties and are subject to change. A full discussion of the

company's

operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect its

business and future prospects, is contained in documents the company has

filed with the SEC, including the form 10-Q for the quarter ended March

31,

2003, and

the form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2002, and will be contained in

all

subsequent periodic filings made with the SEC. These documents identify

important factors that could cause the company's actual performance to

differ

from current expectations, including the outcome of clinical trials,

regulatory

review and approvals, manufacturing capabilities, intellectual property

protections and defenses, stock-price and interest-rate volatility, and

marketing effectiveness. In particular, there can be no assurance that

Chiron will increase sales of existing products, successfully develop and

receive approval to market new products, or achieve market acceptance for

such

new

products. There can be no assurance that Chiron's out-licensing activity

will generate significant revenue, nor that its in-licensing activities

will

fully protect it from claims of infringement by third parties. In

addition,

the company may engage in business opportunities, the successful

completion

of which is subject to certain risks, including shareholder and

regulatory

approvals and the integration of operations.

Consistent with SEC Regulation FD, we do not undertake an obligation

to

update the forward-looking information we are giving today.

NOTE: TOBI is a trademark of Chiron Corporation.

SOURCE Chiron Corporation

CONTACT: J. Forrest, Vice President, Corporate Communications &

Investor

Relations, +1-, or Gallagher, Media Relations Manager,

Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, +1-, both of

Chiron

Corporation

Peace

Torsten, dad of Fiona 6wcf and Sebastian newborn wocf

e-mail: torstenkrafft@...