Enron Mail

From:brown_mary_jo@lilly.com
To:alfred.gilman@email.swmed.edu, george.fisher@kodak.com,jterzuoli@ibjwhitehall.com, karen.n.horn@marsh.com, kenneth.lay@enron.com, kseifert@kcc.com, prendergast@mayo.edu, scb@purdue.edu, win.bischoff@ssmb.com
Subject:Lilly Press Release
Cc:brown_mary_jo@lilly.com
Bcc:brown_mary_jo@lilly.com
Date:Thu, 28 Sep 2000 11:07:00 -0700 (PDT)

RPI TO INITIATE PHASE II CLINICAL TRIALS ON ANTI-HEPATITIS C DRUG

BOULDER, Colorado - September 28, 2000: Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(RPI) (NASDAQ:RZYM) today announced that it has repurchased its rights to
Heptazyme? from Eli Lilly and Company and will initiate Phase II clinical
trials as soon as possible for the Anti-Hepatitis C ribozyme to study
dose-ranging and biological markers of the drug's efficacy in chronic
Hepatitis C patients.

Earlier this month, RPI and Eli Lilly and Company completed a 28 day study
of Heptazyme (LY466700) following daily subcutaneous injections that showed
successful safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics. The next phase of
clinical trials will examine the safety and efficacy of Heptazyme alone, at
higher doses than used in previous studies, and in combination with
interferon, a current treatment for patients with Hepatitis C virus
infection.

Lilly has directed the clinical trials for the Anti-Hepatitis C ribozyme to
date under a licensing agreement between the parties. Ribozyme
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has now renegotiated the global rights to Heptazyme
and will direct all subsequent clinical trials. The Phase II trial is
expected to begin in the first quarter of 2001.

"We are pleased to be able to repurchase Heptazyme rights and to have
resources to develop it aggressively," said Ralph E. Christoffersen, CEO
and President of RPI. "We are committed to address the need for improved
therapies for HCV, and plan to move forward as quickly as feasible in
Heptazyme's development."

Ribozymes are the product of Nobel Prize winning science and are
synthetically engineered to act as "molecular scissors" capable of cleaving
target RNA in a highly specific manner.

RPI (www.rpi.com), located in Boulder, Colorado, is the acknowledged leader
in ribozyme therapeutic development. RPI has recently announced a ribozyme
commercial development program to develop a ribozyme therapeutic against
Hepatitis B. RPI is partnered with Chiron Corporation for the development
and commercialization of ANGIOZYME?, an anti-angiogenic ribozyme designed
to inhibit the growth of new blood supplies to tumors and prevent tumor
growth and metastasis. ANGIOZYME is in Phase I/II clinical trials in
cancer patients at the Cleveland Clinic. RPI is also partnered with an
affiliate of Elan Corporation plc for development and commercialization of
HERZYME?, an anti-HER-2 ribozyme for treatment of breast and other cancers,
through RPI's subsidiary Medizyme Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

RPI will have a Live Webcast regarding this information today at 3:00 pm
MDT. This webcast can be accessed through the RPI website (www.rpi.com) in
the Investor Relations section.


This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, and actual events or results may differ materially.
These risk factors include actions by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, technological advances, ability to obtain rights to
technology, ability to obtain and enforce patents, ability to commercialize
and manufacture products and general economic conditions. These and
additional risk factors are identified in RPI Securities and Exchange
Commission filings, including the Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other SEC
filings.