Human Genome Sciences Announces $40 Million Milestone Payment Related to Albuferon(R) D...( - Payment to be received in Septemb...)

- Payment to be received in September 2007 for successful completion of

Phase 2b clinical trial -

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Human Genome Sciences, Inc., (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced that it will receive a $40 million payment from Novartis in September 2007 for the previously reported successful completion of a Phase 2b trial of Albuferon(R) (albinterferon alfa-2b) in treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C.

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"This $40 million payment will bring the total milestone payments received from Novartis under our Albuferon co-development and commercialization agreement to $132.5 million," said H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, HGS. "Novartis and HGS are also sharing clinical development costs equally. From a strategic perspective, our collaboration with Novartis is proceeding very well. Our companies are jointly committed to the highest quality of clinical development, and we are working closely together to bring Albuferon to market as rapidly as possible."

HGS also reported in a separate press release issued earlier today that it has completed enrollment ahead of schedule in the first of two pivotal Phase 3 trials of Albuferon in chronic hepatitis C, and now expects to have Phase 3 data available by the spring of 2009, with filing of global marketing authorization applications anticipated by the fall of 2009.

Under a co-development and commercialization agreement entered into in June 2006, HGS and Novartis will co-commercialize Albuferon in the United States and will shar
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