MethylGene and Pharmion Corporation Announce Orphan Drug Designation Granted by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for MGCD0103 for the Treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

MONTREAL, QUEBEC and BOULDER, COLORADO--(Marketwire - February 11, 2008) - MethylGene Inc. (TSX: MYG) and Pharmion (NASDAQ: PHRM) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the European Commission (EC) designated MGCD0103, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, as an Orphan Medicinal Product for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia in the European Union (EU). Criteria for designation require that the product be intended for the treatment of life-threatening or serious conditions that are rare and affect not more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU.