Avigen, Inc. To Hold Conference Call Today To Discuss Genzyme Corporation Acquisition Of Its Gene Therapy Assets

ALAMEDA, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Avigen, Inc. announced today that it will hold a conference call today, Wednesday, December 21, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific) to discuss the acquisition of its AAV gene therapy assets by Genzyme and provide a company update.

The companies announced today that Genzyme Corporation has purchased all of Avigen's non-pain related AAV assets, which include all rights to an extensive patent estate and Avigen's Parkinson's disease clinical trial program, and will collaborate on Avigen's hemophilia gene therapy program.

This call is being webcast by Thomson/CCBN and can be accessed Avigen's Web site at www.avigen.com.

The webcast is also being distributed through the Thomson StreetEvents Network to both institutional and individual investors. Individual investors can listen to the call at www.earnings.com, Thomson/CCBN's individual investor portal, powered by StreetEvents. Institutional investors can access the call via Thomson's password-protected event management site, StreetEvents at www.streetevents.com.

To access the live conference call, dial 1-800-573-4752 (US) or +1-617-801-6888 (non-US locations) and enter the passcode: 55466653. A telephone reply will also be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call and remain available until January 4, 2006. The replay may be accessed by dialing: 1-888-286-8010 (US) or +1-617-801-6888 (non-US locations) and entering the passcode: 54976001.

About Avigen

Avigen is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on unique small molecule therapeutics and biologics to treat serious neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain. Avigen's strategy is to build a robust pipeline through a combination of internal research, acquisitions, and in-licensing with the goal of becoming a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company fully committed to its small molecule and biologics neurology product development. The company currently has in development two preclinical candidates for neuropathic pain, AV411 and AV333. For more information about Avigen, consult the company website at www.avigen.com.

Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the acquisition of its gene therapy assets by Genzyme, among others, and the risks and uncertainties described in reports filed by Avigen with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Thomas Paulson of Avigen, Inc., +1-510-748-7159, ortpaulson@avigen.com