Astellas Pharma Inc. Selects Additional Drug Targets For Diabetes And Obesity From Metabolex, Inc.'s Leading Gene Database

HAYWARD, Calif., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabolex, Inc. today announced that Astellas Pharma Inc. has selected additional validated targets for drug screening and development through its research and development collaboration with Metabolex. To date, Astellas Pharma Inc. has selected several validated targets from Metabolex’s proprietary database of human genes that are associated with insulin resistance and obesity.

“We are pleased to have extended our collaboration with Metabolex, which has led to the selection of additional validated targets. These novel targets were identified based on their differential expression in human diabetes clinical samples, including muscle and fat. As a result, they are more likely to play a causative role in the diabetes disease process and may prove to be better therapeutic targets than others,” said Isao Yanagisawa, Ph.D., senior corporate officer of Astellas Pharma Inc. “We hope they will lead to several promising drug candidates for obesity and diabetes -- diseases that are increasing in incidence worldwide at rates of epidemic proportion.”

Metabolex and Astellas Pharma Inc. initiated a multi-year research and drug discovery collaboration in late March 2002 and extended the agreement for one year in March 2005. Focused on discovering and validating novel drug screening targets identified through Metabolex’s discovery program, the goal of the collaboration is to identify candidate compounds from at least 10 targets and advance them into development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and obesity.

“Both Metabolex and Astellas Pharma Inc. believe that understanding the underlying biology and genetic basis of complex diseases such as diabetes and obesity is the best approach to identifying truly relevant drug targets,” said Harold E. Van Wart, Ph.D., president and CEO of Metabolex. “This shared vision has resulted in a number of exciting new drug development programs that could lead to superior first-in-class therapies for diabetes and obesity. We look forward to continuing this collaboration with Astellas Pharma Inc. and to identifying other promising therapeutic candidates for metabolic disorders.”

The selection of these additional targets has triggered undisclosed milestone payments to Metabolex. The Company could receive royalties on eventual sales of any product emerging from the collaboration, and will retain co-promotion rights in North and South America.

About Astellas Pharma Inc.

Astellas Pharma Inc., located in Tokyo, is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. In April 2005, the company was formed through the merger of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The organization is committed to becoming a global mega pharmaceutical company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market.

About Metabolex

Metabolex is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapeutics to transform the treatment of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Metabolex has drawn on its deep understanding of diabetes to create the largest database of genes involved in diabetes and to build a rich pipeline of product candidates and drug discovery targets. The company’s clinical program is focused on developing next- generation insulin sensitizers that lower blood glucose without the serious safety and tolerability issues associated with currently marketed products.

For additional information about Metabolex and its development pipeline, visit www.metabolex.com.

Metabolex

CONTACT: Mark Bagnall of Metabolex, +1-510-293-8800, ormbagnall@metabolex.com; or in United States, Daryl Messinger of WeissCommPartners, +1-415-999-2361, or daryl@weisscommpartners.com for Metabolex; orin Europe, Julie Walters of Media Speak, +44-775-3626967, orjulie.walters@mediaspeak.com, for Metabolex

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