Genzyme and Sunway to Collaborate on Gene Therapy Progra...( CAMBRIDGE Mass. and SHANGHAI Chin...)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and SHANGHAI, China /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genzyme Corp. (Nasdaq: GENZ) and Sunway Biotech Co. Ltd. announced today that they will collaborate to manufacture, develop, and commercialize the experimental gene therapy Ad2/HIF-1a in China. The product is Genzyme's most advanced gene therapy candidate and is currently in Phase 2 clinical testing in the United States and Europe.

Sunway is a privately-held, Shanghai-based biotechnology company founded in 1995. It is one of only two companies in the world to have successfully developed and commercialized a gene therapy product. Sunway's H101, an adenovirus agent for the treatment of head and neck cancer, was approved in China in 2005. With strong technical, regulatory, manufacturing and clinical expertise, Sunway is working towards becoming a preferred partner to western biopharmaceutical firms looking to develop and commercialize products in China.

Genzyme has been a gene therapy pioneer, and the company's commitment to the field remains strong, with a broad clinical and pre-clinical research program in the areas of cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, ocular disease, and lysosomal storage disorders. Additionally, Genzyme has a gene therapy manufacturing facility in San Diego, California.

Ad2/HIF-1a is an engineered form of the HIF-1a gene designed to promote the growth of new blood vessels and improve circulation in the limbs of patients with peripheral arterial disease. Genzyme is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial of Ad2/HIF-1a involving more than 300 patients at 40 U.S. and European medical centers. The trial is examining the safety and effectiveness of locally delivered Ad2/H
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