Strativa Pharmaceuticals, the Proprietary Products Division of Par Pharmaceutical, Provides an Update on Development Status of Pafuramidine and Other in-License...( Pafuramidine o...)

Pafuramidine on Clinical Hold

Loramyc(R) Completes Patient Enrollment Ahead of Schedule

Zensana(TM) Reformulation Complete, Resubmission on Target

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX) today provided an update on the development status of its three, in-licensed, proprietary pipeline products: pafuramidine, Loramyc(R) (miconazole Lauriad(R)), and Zensana(TM) (ondansetron). These three products represent the current product pipeline of Strativa Pharmaceuticals, Par's proprietary products division.

Pafuramidine maleate for pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients:

In June 2007, Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. entered into an exclusive licensing agreement under which Par received commercialization rights in the U.S. to Immtech Pharmaceuticals' Phase III lead oral drug candidate, pafuramidine maleate, for the treatment of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients.

Earlier this week, Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that after discussion with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the pafuramidine program has been placed on clinical hold. In preliminary findings from an in- progress safety study at a South African site, abnormal laboratory values were found in several volunteers following treatment with pafuramidine.

In this South African safety study volunteers were dosed with pafuramidine 100 mg or placebo twice daily for 14 days. The subjects are undergoing close monitoring for any changes in the status of their liver function. No subject has required any treatment or hospitalization for the abnormalities to date. This evaluation will continue until patients stabilize or return to baseline
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