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| |  Genzyme Receives Approval for Thyrogen in Canada Genzyme Canada Inc. To Launch Thyrogen Immediately MISSISSAUGA, ON -- June 3, 2002 -- Genzyme Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genzyme Corporation, announced today that Thyrogen™ (thyrotropin alfa for injection) has received marketing approval in Canada. Thyrogen is a recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone intended to assist physicians in the management of their patients being followed up for the recurrence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Genzyme Canada, and its marketing partner, Theramed Corporation, will begin marketing Thyrogen immediately. On May 31st, the Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate of Health Canada granted Genzyme Canada a Notice of Compliance (NOC) indicating that Thyrogen has met all the requirements established under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. "We are pleased to make Thyrogen available to Canadian thyroid cancer patients," said Paul V. Drohan, managing director at Genzyme Canada. "Thyrogen fills a serious clinical need, and we look forward to communicating with physicians about the product's role in the management of their patients with thyroid cancer." Thyroid cancer patients and treating physicians have been awaiting the approval of Thyrogen in Canada. "The Thyroid Foundation of Canada is very pleased to hear that Thyrogen will now be available in Canada," says Robert Volpe, MD, FRCPC, medical advisor to the foundation. "This is a significant advancement in the way we will manage thyroid cancer. Patients will be delighted not to have to suffer through six or more weeks of being extremely hypothyroid prior to a whole body scan or thyroglobulin test." In 2001, approximately 1,900 Canadians were newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer and approximately 160 Canadians died from the disease, according to estimates from the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Last year Genzyme Canada signed a three-year exclusive agreement to jointly promote and market Thyrogen in Canada with Theramed Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meta Health Services Inc. Theramed Corporation is a leading provider of thyroid medications in Canada. It markets its products directly to endocrinologists, the physicians primarily involved in treating thyroid diseases. Background Information on Thyrogen Thyrogen is an external recombinant source of human TSH that can be used in conjunction with serum thyroglobulin (Tg) testing, with or without radioiodine imaging, in the follow-up of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. It allows patients to remain on their thyroid supplements and avoid the serious effects of thyroid hormone withdrawal while undergoing these cancer screening methods. Genzyme Corporation is a biotechnology company that develops and markets innovative products and services designed to address unmet medical needs. Meta Health Services Inc., through its operating subsidiary Theramed Corporation, is a vertically integrated pharmaceutical company that manufactures and markets primarily branded prescription pharmaceutical products. Theramed seeks to capitalize on niche opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry created by cost containment initiatives and consolidation among large global pharmaceutical companies. Theramed's strategy is to acquire branded pharmaceutical products and to increase their sales by focused promotion and marketing and through product life cycle management. This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding: expectations concerning the commercialization of Thyrogen in Canada, including timing; and thyroid cancer patient population estimates. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the actual timing of the commercialization of Thyrogen in Canada; decisions made by physicians concerning use of Thyrogen; the accuracy of the companies' information concerning the thyroid cancer patient population; and the factors contained in Exhibit 99.2 to Genzyme Corporation's 2001 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements. Genzyme® is a registered trademark of Genzyme Corporation. Thyrogen™ is a trademark of Genzyme Corporation. All rights reserved. Genzyme's press releases and other company information are available at www.genzyme.com and by calling Genzyme's investor information line at 1-800-905-4369 within the United States or 1-703-797-1866 outside the United States. SOURCE: GENZYME CANADA INC.
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