Detailed Data on Alteon's Hypertension/Heart Failure Drug Candidate Alagebrium to Be Presented at The American Society of Hypert

Detailed Data on Alteon's Hypertension/Heart Failure Drug
Candidate Alagebrium to Be Presented at The American Society of Hypertension
Meeting 


PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 27  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alteon Inc. announced
today that an abstract providing detailed clinical data from the Phase 2b
SAPPHIRE/SILVER trial of its lead drug candidate alagebrium chloride (formerly
ALT-711) has been accepted for presentation at the American Society of
Hypertension (ASH) Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting being held in New York
City, May 18-22.  Alagebrium is the first in a new class of drugs, called
A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers, which restore flexibility and function to organs
such as the heart, blood vessels and other tissues that have stiffened over
time.  The data from SAPPHIRE/SILVER and a prior clinical trial indicate that
alagebrium has the ability to safely lower systolic blood pressure and pulse
pressure in aging patients, especially in a difficult-to-treat hypertensive
patient population.  Notably, alagebrium results were over and above standard
hypertension treatment, and data thus far point to a mechanism of action unlike
any existing antihypertensive agent.

A second abstract, which highlights the cardiovascular and renal effects of
alagebrium in a preclinical study of aged hypertensive rats, also has been
accepted for presentation at ASH.

"We are pleased to have more specific data on alagebrium released at this
prestigious forum," said Kenneth I. Moch, President and Chief Executive
Officer.  "The scientific findings that are discussed in the SAPPHIRE/ SILVER
abstract were pivotal in the design of our ongoing SPECTRA trial of alagebrium
in uncontrolled systolic hypertension."

A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers and Alagebrium

Advanced Glycation End-products (A.G.E.s) are permanent glucose structures that
form when glucose binds to the surface of proteins.  Many of these proteins,
including structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, play an integral
role in the maintenance of cardiovascular elasticity function and vascular wall
integrity.  This process can impair the normal function of organs that depend
on flexibility for normal function, such as blood vessels and cardiac muscle. 
Alagebrium is the first in the A.G.E. Crosslink Breaker class that has been
shown to reverse or "break" A.G.E. crosslinks, thereby restoring more normal
function to organs and tissues that have lost flexibility.  Pharmacologic
intervention with alagebrium directly targets the biochemical pathway leading
to the stiffness of the cardiovascular system. Its mechanism of action is new
and novel, and is unrelated to that of any pharmaceutical agent either
currently prescribed or in clinical development. Importantly, alagebrium does
not disrupt the natural enzymatic glycation sites or peptide bonds that are
responsible for maintaining the normal integrity of the collagen chain.  Thus,
normal structure and function is preserved while abnormal crosslinking is
reduced.

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.  These
include A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers, A.G.E. Formation Inhibitors and Glucose
Lowering Agents.  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.alteon.com/ 

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