CHICAGO, IL – November 3, 1999 – The = Immune=20 Tolerance Network, the $144 million dollar immunological research = initiative=20 supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Juvenile Diabetes = Foundation, will hold an informational meeting with industry = representatives on=20 December 7, 1999 in Washington, D.C. The meeting, open to all interested = parties, is intended to familiarize biotechnology and pharmaceutical = companies=20 interested in tolerance research with the mission and goals of the = Network and=20 facilitate industry participation in clinical trial and tolerance assay=20 development performed by Network investigators.

The Immune Tolerance Network is a seven-year = initiative aimed=20 at developing and assessing clinical strategies to induce and measure = immune=20 tolerance. The Network will maintain a broad focus, overseeing clinical = trial=20 and tolerance assay development in islet and kidney transplantation, = autoimmune=20 disorders, such as diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple = sclerosis=20 and others, as well as allergy & asthma.

The Network is comprised of over 70 of the = world’s=20 leading experts in immune tolerance and will conduct clinical trials at=20 soon-to-be-established centers around the country. Dr. Jeffrey = Bluestone, of the=20 University of Chicago, a recognized leader in the field, is the Network=20 Director.

"We have established a collaboration that will = be open and=20 inclusive, with the flexibility to capitalize on emerging opportunities = for any=20 potential tolerogenic approaches," says Dr. Bluestone. "A very = important aspect of this project is the extension of this collaboration = to=20 partner with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in Network = trials, so=20 that we take full advantage of our collective resources and = expertise."

Among the major topics for discussion at the meeting = will be=20 intellectual property and technology transfer issues, maintaining=20 confidentiality and regulatory compliance for the Network-industry=20 collaborations. Specifically, the Network plans to open a discussion on = plans=20 for multi-drug trials involving proprietary agents from different = companies.=20 Combination therapies of such agents are a largely untapped resource, = the=20 precedent having been set recently in an NIAID-sponsored trial using = agents=20 developed independently by Ortho/Johnson & Johnson and Novartis. =

"In the past, there have been a number of = hurdles to=20 initiating such trials, stemming both from proprietary and logistical=20 concerns," said Dr. Rose of the NIAID. "The Immune Tolerance = Network=20 offers an opportunity to solve many of these problems through large = patient=20 populations, a strong FDA interface and access to first rate clinical=20 researchers."

The meeting will be attended by key members of the = Network=20 Executive, as well as several representatives from the NIH and the FDA = who=20 specialize in technology transfer and regulatory issues.

Companies interested in sending representatives to = the meeting=20 are asked to contact Kate Tomlin, of The EMMES Corporation at (301) = 299-8655 by=20 November 15, 1999 to reserve a space. More information can be found at = the ITN=20 website, www.immunetolerance.org.=20

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The Immune Tolerance Network is a seven year, $144 = million=20 dollar clinical research program founded in October 1999 to solicit, = develop,=20 implement and assess clinical strategies and biological assays for the = purposes=20 of inducing, maintaining and monitoring tolerance in humans for kidney = and islet=20 transplantation, autoimmune diseases and allergy & asthma. The ITN = is=20 jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious = Diseases,=20 the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease and = the=20 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation=20 International.