August 28, 2002

Neurochem receives unanimous recommendation by independent data safety monitoring board to continue trial for Fibrillex™.

Neurochem Inc. (TSX : NRM) announced today the unanimous recommendation by its independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to continue the pivotal Phase II/III trial for Fibrillex™, a potential treatment for secondary amyloidosis. The DSMB is comprised of independent experts and was established by Neurochem as part of the Company's compliance with good clinical practices (cGCP) guidelines. The DSMB is responsible for monitoring the safety of patients participating in this study and reviewing the safety data throughout the duration of the study. The recommendation by the members of the DSMB was based on their first review of the safety data from 27 patients who completed at least 4 months of the study.

"The Fibrillex™ pivotal trial continues to progress on schedule. There are currently 27 clinical sites around the world involved in the trial. Accordingly, patient recruitment is going well and we expect to complete enrollment by the end of this year,™ said Dr. Louis R. Lamontagne, President and CEO of Neurochem. "As the Company expects this Phase II/III trial to be the final study before commercialization, we look forward to the continued advancement of Fibrillex™ through its pivotal trial."

Fibrillex™ is an oral drug candidate and has orphan drug status in the United States and in Europe. In the U.S., the Orphan Drug Designation is expected to give Neurochem seven years of market exclusivity upon commercialization. In Europe, the designation typically allows for a ten-year market exclusivity in the 15 member states of the European Community once the drug goes to market.

The pivotal Phase II/III clinical trial of Fibrillex™ is a multicentered, randomized, international, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel-designed trial, designed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of Fibrillex™ in patients suffering from Secondary Amyloidosis.

About Secondary Amyloidosis

Secondary Amyloidosis is associated with chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel diseases), chronic infections (e.g. osteomyelitis, tuberculosis) and Familial Mediterranean Fever. The most common clinical presentation of Secondary Amyloidosis is kidney malfunction. Gastrointestinal involvement is also frequent and is usually manifested as chronic diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain and malabsorption. Enlargement of the liver and the spleen may also occur in some patients. Secondary Amyloidosis has a poor prognosis with five- to 15-year survival rates of 50% and 25%, respectively. End-stage renal failure is the cause of death in 40% to 60% of cases. There is currently no therapy for the direct treatment of Secondary Amyloidosis.

About Neurochem

Neurochem is an industry leader in the development of therapeutic drugs and diagnostic tools for central nervous system and amyloid-related diseases associated with aging. The Company has built a strong product pipeline by developing a novel, proprietary series of compounds that inhibit the formation, deposition and toxic effects of amyloid fibrils within the body. Neurochem's therapeutic programs target Alzheimer's Disease, Hemorrhagic Stroke (due to Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy), Secondary Amyloidosis, Diabetes Type II and Epilepsy. Neurochem is using a multi-pronged approach towards the development of pharmaceuticals for Alzheimer's Disease, including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) mimetics, a vaccine, an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective approaches as well as the development, in collaboration with Amersham Health, of a diagnostic imaging tool. The Company has advanced to date three drug candidates to clinical trials: Alzhemed™, for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, Fibrillex™, for the orphan disease Secondary Amyloidosis, and Cerebril™, for Hemorrhagic Stroke. At present, the Company employs over 77 people and is located in Saint-Laurent, Canada (www.neurochem.com).

All of the statements contained in this news release, other than statements of fact which are independently verifiable at the date hereof, are forward-looking statements. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management, inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown. Some examples of known risks are: the impact of general economic conditions, general conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which Neurochem does business, stock market volatility, fluctuations in costs, and changes to the competitive environment due to consolidation or otherwise. Consequently, actual future results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in the forward-looking statements.

For further Information, please contact:
Dr. Lise Hébert
Vice President, Corporate Communications
lhebert@neurochem.com

275 Armand-Frappier
Laval (Quebec)
H7V 4A7
Tel: (450) 680-4500
Fax: (450) 680-4501

Our site is best viewed with IE4+ at a resolution of 1024×768.
All contents copyright © 1998-2007 Neurochem Inc.
Terms, Conditions and Legal Notice.