Exclusivity Period for Ovcon

RNS Number:3641U
Galen Holdings PLC
19 January 2004

GALEN HOLDINGS PLC



GALEN ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVITY PERIOD FOR OVCON



Craigavon, Northern Ireland, UK/Rockaway, New Jersey, US, 19 January 2004 -
Galen Holdings PLC ("Galen") (LSE: GAL.L, Nasdaq: GALN), today announces that
Warner Chilcott, Inc.  a subsidiary of Galen, has received 3 year Hatch/Waxman
exclusivity for the new Ovcon-35 tablets, chewable.  This exclusivity will
expire November 14, 2006. This information was published on January 14, 2004 in
the update to Patent Term Extension and New Patents Docket Number *95S-0117.



The Company already announced in December 2003 that this product would also be
covered by a patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,667,050, issued by the United States
Patent and Trademark Office for chewable oral contraceptives.



Galen is a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Craigavon, Northern Ireland
and Rockaway, New Jersey, US.  The Galen group of companies develops, acquires
and manufactures branded prescription pharmaceutical products, which are
promoted by the group's sales and marketing divisions in the UK, Ireland and the
US.



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Contacts:



Galen Holdings PLC
David Kelly, Sr. Vice President, 
Finance and Planning                   Tel:  [phone] ext. 3634



Financial enquiries:
Financial Dynamics
Francetta Carr                        Tel:  [phone]



For further information on Galen, please visit www.galenplc.com



Note:



Forward looking statements in this report, including, without limitation,
statements relating to Galen's plans, strategies, objectives, expectations,
intentions and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These
forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Galen to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.  These
factors include, among others, the following:  Galen's ability to manage its
growth, government regulation affecting the development, manufacture, marketing
and sale of pharmaceutical products, customer acceptance of new products,
competitive factors in the industries in which Galen operates, the loss of key
senior management or scientific staff, exchange rate fluctuations, general
economic and business conditions, and other factors described in filings of
Galen with the SEC.  Galen undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
any forward looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.




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