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| |  Agreement To Develop Compounds for Gastrointestinal Market Expanded EATONTOWN, N.J., Dec. 5, 1996 -- Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation (Nasdaq: RPCX) announced today that it has agreed in principle to license from Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) a developmental compound for Functional Bowel Disorders (FBD), a potentially large and generally unsatisfied gastrointestinal market. The compound, designated as LY315535, is being licensed to Roberts for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This agreement represents an expansion of previously announced licensing arrangements between the two companies. FBD is primarily characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation with other patient complaints including bloating and cramping. FBD may afflict 15%-20% of the world population with the corresponding annual marketplace estimated at nearly a billion days of therapy. Current therapies, ranging from dietary changes to over-the-counter medicines and prescription antispasmodics, provide limited or erratic treatment response. The LY315535 compound is a dipharmacophore, acting as both a muscarinic receptor antagonist and as a serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist with a high degree of selectivity for the 5-HT1A receptor subtype. As a result of these two different, but synergistic modes of action on the gastrointestinal tract, this compound offers the potential to treat a wide spectrum of FBD symptoms. Previously, Roberts announced it had licensed from Lilly two other compounds for FBD. Those compounds included, an opioid mu receptor antagonist and a 5-HT4 receptor antagonist. With the addition of LY315535, Roberts proprietary pipeline now includes broad opportunities to develop potentially novel breakthrough drugs for FBD. Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation is an international pharmaceutical company focusing on the acquisition and development of late-stage drugs. Roberts currently markets its products in seven countries and has operating subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. This release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect management's current views of future events and operations. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and external factors, including assumptions relating to regulatory action and competing products. Any changes in such assumptions or external factors could produce significantly different results.
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