Viron Therapeutics Wins Prestigious 2005 Prix Galien Award

LONDON, ON, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ - Viron Therapeutics Inc. has been honoured as this year's recipient of the prestigious Prix Galien Canada award in Biotechnology. This award is one of the highest honours in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and recognizes excellence in medical and scientific research and innovation.

Viron will receive the award at a gala ceremony in Montreal on November 16th.

Viron was selected from a strong field of candidates for its pioneering work developing a novel class of medicines targeting inflammatory-based disorders including acute coronary syndromes, transplant rejection, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The company's lead compound is now in Phase II clinical testing.

"We are extremely proud to have been awarded the Prix Galien, as it represents the highest honour in our industry," commented Viron's President and Chief Executive Officer, Neil K. Warma. "Viron has been steadily advancing its novel drug development platform over the past several years and is rapidly becoming one of the leaders in developing novel medicines targeting inflammation. This award is truly a testament to the tremendous effort invested by our scientists and also our commitment to translate innovative research ideas into life-saving treatments."

"Having recently initiated our first Phase 2 trial, we believe that the use of VT-111, our lead compound, represents the first time that a viral protein has been used in the human patient population," stated Warma. "The commercialization of VT-111 could revolutionize the way cardiovascular disease is currently treated. With heart disease being the number one killer of North Americans, the potential social and economic benefits are enormous."

The Prix Galien is considered the Nobel prize of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Established in 1970 in France to promote pharmaceutical research and innovation, the competition has since spread to many other countries including Canada and the United States and is now recognized internationally as the award of excellence in the industry.

About Viron Therapeutics Inc.

Viron Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in London, Ontario, Canada, with a leading position in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Viron is a pioneer in exploiting natural viral proteins as innovative drugs for the treatment of human disorders resulting from abnormal inflammatory responses, such as cardiovascular disease, transplant vasculopathy and rheumatoid arthritis. The advancement of VT 111 into Phase II clinical trials, a pipeline of five promising preclinical drug candidates and a robust discovery program strongly position the company to be a leader in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.

About VT 111

VT-111 is the lead compound of a novel class of virally-derived biologics being developed by Viron which exhibit potent anti-inflammatory abilities. It has shown remarkable efficacy in a variety of preclinical models of inflammatory-based diseases, including acute coronary syndromes (ACS), transplantation and rheumatoid arthritis. VT 111 was also shown to be safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers in a Phase I study. The potential of VT 111 to quickly stabilize patients with ACS could result in a reduced risk of heart attack and death in this patient population.

CONTACT: Neil K. Warma, President & CEO, Viron Therapeutics Inc., Tel:(519) 858-5109, info@vironinc.com