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| |  Zefix Tablets 100 (Lamivudine) Launched In Japan For Hepatitis B LAVAL, QC -- November 20, 2000 -- BioChem Pharma Inc. announced that Glaxo Wellcome has launched Zefix tablets 100 (lamivudine) in Japan. Provision of drug information to medical institutions regarding Zefix will be carried out by Glaxo Wellcome K.K. with Ajinomoto Pharma Co., Ltd. through co-promotion as Ajinomoto Pharma has experience in liver disease. Zefix is an innovative drug that has a unique mechanism to directly suppress the replication of hepatitis B virus. This new drug has been long awaited by many chronic hepatitis B patients and liver disease specialists, and it is expected to be a new frontier in chronic hepatitis B treatment. Zefix is indicated for improvement in virus markers and hepatic functions and histological improvement of liver in chronic hepatitis B patients associated with evidence of hepatitis B virus replication and abnormal liver functions. It has been shown that Zefix significantly reduces liver inflammation by suppressing viral replication. Domestic clinical trial results showed that after treatment with Zefix for one year, 64 percent of patients had negative HBV-DNA (below the detection level), 65 percent of patients had normal ALT (GPT) and 95 percent had histological improvements. Zefix provides simple dosing as the dosage for adult patients is 100 mg of lamivudine (1 tablet of Zefix Tablets 100) once daily. Following is a comment by Dr. Kyuichi Tanikawa, an emeritus professor at Kurume University. "Until now, there was no adequate method of treating chronic hepatitis B, an emergence of an effective treatment has been long awaited. There is no doubt that this new drug will have a large impact on the future treatment of chronic hepatitis B. However, decisions on which type of patients should take the drug, and when to stop administration, are difficult to make. Therefore, initial administration of the drug needs to be carried out under careful supervision by liver specialists. There are high hopes for this new drug, Zefix, and I look forward to the future of this drug and to promoting its appropriate usage." Hepatitis B is one of the most common and serious diseases in the world, which is caused by hepatitis B virus infection in the liver that is called the "silent organ". According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 350 million chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide, and over 75 percent of these carriers reside in the Asia-Pacific region. Up to 2 million people die each year from hepatitis B virus infection, making it the ninth leading cause of death worldwide. It is estimated that the number of HBV carriers in Japan is 1.2(tilde)1.4 million out of which 10 percent of the carriers are chronic hepatitis B patients. Zefix is currently available in more than 34 countries including China (as Heptodin), South Korea, the USA (as Epivir-HBV), Canada (as Heptovir) and the EU, and approved in over 60 countries worldwide. Under agreement, BioChem Pharma receives royalties from Glaxo Wellcome on sales of its discovery lamivudine for use in treatment of both HIV/AIDS (3TC/Epivir/Combivir/Trizivir) and HBV (Zefix/Zeffix/Epivir-HBV/Heptovir/Heptodin). Glaxo Wellcome has the right to develop, manufacture and sell lamivudine worldwide, except in Canada, where BioChem Pharma and Glaxo Wellcome have formed a commercialization partnership. Related Links: lamivudine (Zefix), BioChem Pharma Inc. and Glaxo Wellcome.
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