Exubera Regulatory Approval

RNS Number:5313X
Bespak PLC
27 January 2006


For immediate release                                            27 January 2006



                                 Bespak plc

              Welcomes European Regulatory Approval of Exubera(R)

Bespak plc (LSE: BPK), a leader in specialty medical devices, is pleased to note
that Pfizer Inc today issued an announcement that the European Commission has
approved Exubera(R) (inhaled human insulin) for the treatment of adults with
type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Exubera(R) is the first non-injectable, inhalable
form of insulin to be approved since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s, and
represents a major advance in diabetes treatment.

Bespak, in conjunction with Nektar Therapeutics, has developed the manufacturing
process for Exubera's inhalation device and the Company will manufacture the
device at its purpose designed facility in Milton Keynes.

According to the World Health Organization, diabetes has reached epidemic
proportions and affects approximately 48 million people in Europe alone. People
with diabetes often suffer from debilitating complications due to uncontrolled
blood sugar levels, including heart disease, amputation, blindness and kidney
failure. The direct healthcare costs associated with diabetes are estimated to
be around $286 billion worldwide, with the majority of these costs linked to
treating diabetes-related complications.

Mark Throdahl, Bespak's Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted that Exubera
(R), a drug with the potential to achieve blockbuster sales, has been approved
in Europe and we look forward to the start of commercial production of the
drug's delivery device."

Hank McKinnell, Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Exubera(R)
is a major, first-of-its-kind, medical breakthrough that marks another critical
step forward in the treatment of diabetes, a disease that has taken an enormous
human and economic toll worldwide."

For further information, please contact:

Bespak plc                                           Tel: [phone]
Mark Throdahl - Chief Executive
Martin Hopcroft - Finance Director

Buchanan Communications                              Tel: [phone]
Tim Thompson / Mark Court / Mary-Jane Johnson


Notes for Editors:

About Bespak plc

Bespak, a leader in specialty medical devices, develops delivery systems for the
pharmaceutical industry and disposable airway management products for critical
care settings. Bespak's product range includes metered dose and dry powder
inhalers, actuators, inflation valves, disposable face masks, breathing circuits
and laryngeal tubes. The group, which has facilities in King's Lynn and Milton
Keynes in the UK and Indianapolis and Kent, Ohio, in the US, is quoted on the
Official List of the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BPK). For more information,
please visit www.bespak.com.




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