Millennium Expands IBD Franchise with Addition of New Development...( - Company advances oral antagonist o...),Health

- Company advances oral antagonist of CCR9, a chemokine receptor believed

to play a critical role in Crohn's disease -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM) today announced the advancement of MLN3126, a new product candidate, from the Company's discovery engine to its development pipeline. MLN3126 is a selective antagonist of CCR9, a chemokine receptor known to be important in the migration of inflammatory cells into the gastrointestinal tract. Along with MLN0002, an antibody targeting the alpha4beta7 integrin, MLN3126 expands the Company's inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) franchise. MLN0002 already has demonstrated the ability to induce clinical remission in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and is expected to enter pivotal Phase III trials in late 2008 or early 2009 in both indications.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991220/MLNMLOGO )

"The development of MLN3126 leverages our knowledge and experience in the area of IBD, a key focus area for Millennium," said Deborah Dunsire, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Millennium. "Building on our scientific knowledge and broad patent estate in the area of chemokines, we have identified a product candidate that is differentiated from others in this field and potentially could benefit the millions of patients afflicted with Crohn's worldwide."

"We are delighted to move forward some very promising molecules in IBD. In addition to the positive direction of MLN3126, preliminary results from bridging studies with MLN0002 from our new commercially scalable cell line show favorable pharmaco
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