Xechem International Inc. (fka XKEM)

[raspi]

This is the PR from 2003, already posted by lifegyar... It sounds pretty much like todays news!!!!!!

http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/1486

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E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Xechem Announces Launch of Nicosan™ (formerly "Niprisan") A Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease

NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, Feb. 3 -/E-Wire/-- Xechem International, Inc. (OTC BB: ZKEM) announced today that it anticipates the initial sales of NICOSAN™, its Sickle Cell Anemia Drug for distribution in Nigeria in late March or early April 2003, through its subsidiary ("Xechem Nigeria"). Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited is organized under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (1992) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


All manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sales of the product NICOSAN™ will take place through Xechem Nigeria at this time. This will place Xechem in a unique position to take full advantage of Nigeria's well-known biodiversity, which is expected to yield many new, important drugs and other phyto-pharmaceutical products.


On July 18, 2002, Xechem International, Inc. signed an exclusive worldwide license for the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sales of NIPRISAN™ from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development ("NIPRD"), government of Nigeria, for the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease ("SCD"). NICOSAN™ is Xechem's name for the non-toxic phyto-pharmaceutical product formerly named NIPRISAN™. Xechem is currently in the process of completing for submission of an Investigational New Drug Application ("IND") for this product to the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). To date, there has been no successful non-toxic drug developed for the treatment of SCD.


According to Xechem's President and CEO, Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey, "Xechem is in position to take advantage of the extraordinary biodiversity of Nigeria and the African continent. Our ability to develop life saving and life extending medicinal products from natural sources is evident in our history as a company as well as our commitment to work hand in hand with the government of Nigeria. Currently over 25% of the Nigerian population is a carrier of SCD and over 6.4 million Nigerians, 5% of the population are afflicted with this horribly painful disease."


Xechem International, Inc., headquartered in New Brunswick, N.J., with subsidiary companies in the USA, India, Nigeria and joint venture partners in both Hong Kong and the Peoples Republic of China, is a biopharmaceutical engaged in the research, development and production of generic and proprietary drugs from natural sources. The company specializes in the development of niche-generic, difficult to replicate, anti-cancer, antiviral compounds, including Human Immuno-deficiency Virus ("HIV") and anti-fungal compounds. Xechem is also engaged in the research and development of several novel anti-infectives showing strong and selective efficacy against an array of antibiotic resistant bacterias, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF), Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and other antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The Company also screens extracts and pure compounds from various parts of the world for their therapeutic use.


XetaPharm (another U.S. subsidiary) develops quality controlled nutritional products such as GinkgoOnce®, GinsengOnce®, GarlicOnce®, Gugulon™, VIDA PRAS™ and numerous other nutraceutical products, which are under development.


This and past press releases of Xechem International, Inc. are available at Xechem's web site at www.xechem.com.


This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements relating to Xechem's future business performance within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by safe harbors created hereby. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including the ability of the Companies to successfully develop and commercialize their technologies, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Companies to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Companies expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.


/SOURCE:
Xechem International, Inc
-0-
02-03-2003
/CONTACT:
Ramesh C. Pandey, Ph.D., President & CEO, (732) 247 - 3300.,
/WEB SITE: http://http:// www.xechem.com


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