Xechem Intl. (fka ZKEM)

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ZKEM, news
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Aug 1, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Xechem International, Inc. (ZKEM, Trade) announced that it has acquired the exclusive world-wide rights to an important innovative drug product for treating and managing the genetic and debilitating sickle cell anemia disease.

The exclusive rights to this product have been acquired from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Developments (NIPRD), Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has forty-six patents worldwide covering this new drug, and which is currently in phase III clinical trials in Nigeria.

Currently, there does not exist an FDA approved (or equivalent regulatory approved) drug for managing sickle cell anemia, for which no pharmaceutical cure exists. Xechem's revolutionary new product, for which regulatory approval will be sought worldwide and expedited approval sought in the United States under the Orphan Drug Act, actually manages the disease in protecting red blood cells against cycling, and acts in reversing cycled red blood cells.

Xechem's involvement with its long history of pharmaceutical development and expertise has sparked much interest and anticipation in bringing this desperately needed drug product to market, with Xechem even receiving e-mails from parents of children afflicted with this disease.

As stated by Professor A. B. C. Nwosu, the Honorable Minister of Health, Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, "It is my great pleasure and indeed the pride of my Ministry that I am here this afternoon to sign the NIPRD-Xechem Agreement on our new phytomedicine (NIPRISAN) for the management of sickle cell disease, which affects a significant percentage of the black population throughout the world. With today's signing, NIPRD will formally transfer its technology on NIPRISAN to Xechem for the manufacture of this drug in Nigeria and its marketing and distribution all over the world. This arrangement will guarantee the availability of this product in the international market for the benefit of those in need worldwide. It is thought that Xechem will be able to put this important new drug on the market within the next six months. I sincerely commend the pioneering role and effort of Xechem in venturing outside of the American Continent into Africa and I assure you that Xechem's investment in the Nigerian market will not be regretted."

According to Xechem's President and CEO, Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey, "We at Xechem feel honored to be able to make this important new drug product available to the millions of people around the world, who in the past have had simply no way of managing this genetic sickle cell anemia disease. We hope to begin distributing this product throughout the African continent within the year and throughout the World within the next year."

Xechem International, Inc., headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ, with subsidiary companies in the USA, India, Nigeria and joint venture partners in both Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China, is a biopharmaceutical company of which Xechem, Inc. (a US subsidiary) is engaged in the research, development and production of generic and proprietary drugs from natural sources, specializing in the development of niche-generic, difficult to replicate anticancer, antiviral, including Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and antifungal 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(R), GinsengOnce(R), GarlicOnce(R), Gugulon(TM), VIDA PRAS(TM) 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.

For further information, contact John P. Luther, Esq., Vice President & General Counsel, at [phone].

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.


CONTACT: Xechem International, Inc., New Brunswick
John P. Luther, 732/247-3300
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