Alteon to Change Principal Accountants

Alteon to Change Principal Accountants 


PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 13  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alteon Inc. today
announced that KPMG LLP ("KPMG") has informed the company that it has resigned
as Alteon's principal accountants following a review of its client portfolio
and allocation of resources.  KPMG has served as Alteon's principal accountants
since May 30, 2002.  KPMG has advised Alteon that its resignation was not the
result of any disagreements with Alteon on any matter of accounting principles
or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures.

Kenneth I. Moch, President and CEO said, "Alteon has worked with KPMG for over
2 years, and we have been pleased with our relationship.  However, as the
accounting industry has changed and the time and cost commitments by the
accounting firms have increased due to Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, we
understand KPMG's need to direct its resources to a more limited number of
clients.  We have commenced discussions with other prospective principal
accountants."

About Alteon

Alteon is developing several new classes of drugs that reverse or slow down
diseases of aging and complications of diabetes.  These compounds have an
impact on a fundamental pathological process caused by protein-glucose
complexes called Advanced Glycation End-products (A.G.E.s).  The formation and
crosslinking of A.G.E.s lead to a loss of flexibility and function in body
tissues, organs and vessels and have been shown to be a causative factor in
many age-related diseases and diabetic complications.  Alteon has created a
library of novel classes of compounds targeting the A.G.E. Pathway.  Alteon's
lead compound alagebrium chloride (formerly ALT-711), the only A.G.E. Crosslink
Breaker in advanced human testing, has demonstrated safety and efficacy in
several Phase 2 trials and is actively being developed for systolic
hypertension and heart failure. Ongoing clinical trials include SPECTRA
(Systolic Pressure Efficacy and Safety Trial of Alagebrium) and PEDESTAL
(Patients with Impaired Ejection Fraction and Diastolic Dysfunction: Efficacy
and Safety Trial of Alagebrium).  For more information on Alteon, visit the
company's website at http://www.alteon.com/.

Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans,
events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties including, but not limited to, those relating to technology and
product development (including the possibility that early clinical trial
results may not be predictive of results that will be obtained in large-scale
testing or that any clinical trials will not demonstrate sufficient safety and
efficacy to obtain requisite approvals or will not result in marketable
products), regulatory approval processes, intellectual property rights and
litigation, competitive products, ability to obtain financing, and other risks
identified in Alteon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
information contained in this press release is accurate as of the date
indicated.  Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. Alteon
undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to
these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or
circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events. 

DATASOURCE: Alteon Inc.



CONTACT:  Susan M. Pietropaolo, Director, Corporate Communications &

Investor Relations of Alteon Inc., [phone] 



Web site:  http://www.alteonpharma.com/

http://www.alteon.com/ 

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