( Company to Proceed with Development Pr...)Alkermes Announces Positive Results from Phase 1/2 Clinical Study,of ALKS 29,Health

Company to Proceed with Development Program for Oral Compounds to Treat Alcohol Dependence

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 2007--Alkermes, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKS) today announced positive preliminary results from a clinical trial of ALKS 29 in alcohol dependent patients. Based on these results, the company plans to move forward with its development program for oral product candidates to treat alcohol dependence. ALKS 29 is a combination of two agents with distinct pharmacologic properties designed to provide advantages over current oral medications for the treatment of alcohol dependence. In the study, ALKS 29 was generally well tolerated and led to both a statistically significant increase in the percent of days abstinent and a decrease in drinking compared to placebo when combined with psychosocial therapy.

"We are encouraged by the positive results from this initial proof of concept study, which provide further rationale for the continued expansion of our addiction franchise," stated Elliot Ehrich, chief medical officer of Alkermes. "Addiction is an underserved disease area where a variety of treatments are needed that can improve outcomes for patients. We look forward to the complete analysis of these data, as we believe insights from this study could help pave the way for the development of ALKS 29 and other proprietary oral compounds for the treatment of alcohol dependence."

In the phase 1/2 study, patients treated with ALKS 29 demonstrated statistically significant improvement compared to placebo in terms of percent of days abstinent, percent of heavy drinking days, and average number of drinks per day. ALKS 29 was generally well tolerated during the study.

The phase 1/2 multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, eight-week study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ALKS 29 in approximately 150 alcohol dependent patients. The study e
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