Abbott and Genentech Announce Global, Integrated Research, Development and Commercialization Collaboration in Oncology

Abbott Park, Illinois and South San Francisco, California
(ots/PRNewswire) -

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) have formed a
collaboration for the global research, development and
commercialization of two of Abbott's investigational anti-cancer
compounds. The companies will work together on all aspects of
further development and commercialization of ABT-263 and ABT-869,
which were discovered by Abbott scientists.

The companies will co-promote any resulting products in the United
States. Abbott will promote any resulting products outside the United
States. Financial terms of the collaboration will not be disclosed.

These compounds are targeted therapies that represent promising,
unique scientific approaches to treating cancer. ABT-263, a Bcl-2
family protein antagonist, restores apoptosis -- a natural process by
which damaged or unwanted cells die and are cleared from the body --
in a variety of cancer cells. ABT-869, a VEGFR-based multi-targeted
kinase inhibitor, suppresses tumor growth by preventing the growth of
new blood vessels that supply the tumor with oxygen and nutrients and
by inhibiting key angiogenic signaling pathways. Both compounds are
currently in Phase I clinical trials in a number of tumor types.
Phase II clinical trials for ABT-869 in several tumor types will
begin this year.

Beyond those two compounds, scientists at the two companies will
use their expertise to conduct additional follow-on research in the
area of Bcl-2 family protein antagonists and VEGFR-targeted (vascular
endothelial growth factor receptor) kinase inhibitors.

"We hope that the combination of Abbott's scientific discoveries
and Genentech's proven experience in the oncology arena can help
bring these promising anti-cancer compounds to patients," said John
Leonard, M.D., vice president, Global Pharmaceutical Research and
Development, Abbott. "It takes significant resources to discover and
develop new medicines. We believe that our collaboration with
Genentech, in addition to our pipeline of other cutting-edge
scientific approaches to fighting cancer, will allow Abbott to build
a world-class oncology franchise."

"We are very pleased to be entering into this collaboration with
Abbott for the development of therapies that may offer new options to
treat patients with cancer," said Hal Barron, M.D., senior vice
president, Development and chief medical officer for Genentech. "We
believe that these molecules are strong complements to our existing
anti-angiogenesis and apoptosis research and development programs and
have the potential to broaden our pipeline with important, innovative
compounds."

Bcl-2 Family Protein Antagonists (ABT-263)

Apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, is a natural
process by which damaged or unwanted cells, including those that are
or could become cancerous, die and are cleared from the body. The
Bcl-2 family proteins, which are expressed at high levels in many
tumors, play a central role in regulating apoptosis and,
consequently, in tumor formation, tumor growth and resistance to
treatment. Researchers have been interested in the pro-survival
members of the Bcl-2 family since their role in preventing apoptosis
was established more than a decade ago. Pioneering structural biology
work at Abbott showed how Bcl-2-like proteins interact with one
another, thereby setting the stage for Abbott researchers to develop
novel compounds that cause cancer cells to self-destruct.

ABT-263 restores programmed cell death by blocking the function of
pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins. Pre-clinical data have shown that
Abbott's Bcl-2 family protein antagonists effectively kill certain
cancer cell types. Additionally, Abbott Bcl-2 family antagonists were
found to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and radiation in other
types of cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer. ABT-263 recently
entered Phase I clinical trials for lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic
leukemia (CLL) and solid tumors, including small cell lung cancer.

VEGFR-Based Kinase Inhibitors (ABT-869)

Oncology researchers are currently developing agents that target
kinases, a class of enzymes that are often overly activated in cancer
patients. ABT-869 inhibits a distinct set of kinases that are
involved in angiogenesis, a process by which tumors gain access to
new blood vessels. Inhibition of these kinases suppresses tumor
growth by cutting off tumor blood supply. ABT-869 is currently being
tested against several tumor types in Phase I clinical trials. Phase
II clinical trials will begin this year.

Abbott's Oncology Pipeline

Abbott is committed to the discovery and development of innovative
cancer treatments that enable patients to live longer and healthier
lives. Abbott's oncology research is focused on developing more
targeted, less toxic therapies than are currently available to
improve the quality of life for patients living with cancer.

Abbott scientists are dedicated to exploring a variety of
cutting-edge treatments in the fight against cancer. In addition to
Bcl-2 family protein inhibitors and kinase inhibitors, other
compounds moving through Abbott's oncology development pipeline
include:

-- ABT-751, an oral anti-mitotic in Phase II studies for non-small cell
lung cancer and neuroblastoma;
-- ABT-888, a PARP inhibitor that can prevent DNA damage repair in cancer
cells, and thereby enhance the effectiveness of current cancer
therapies;
-- ABT-828, a biologic anti-tumor agent with a novel mechanism of action.

These compounds are not part of the collaboration with Genentech.

About Genentech

Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading
biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and
commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A
considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products
originated from or are based on Genentech science. Genentech
manufactures and commercializes multiple biotechnology products and
licenses several additional products to other companies. The company
has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is listed on
the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional
information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals
and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and
diagnostics. The company employs 65,000 people and markets its
products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the
company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com.

Web site: http://www.abbott.com
http://www.gene.com

ots Originaltext: Abbott Laboratories
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Contact:
media, Catherine Bryan, +1-847-936-6722, or financial, John Thomas,
+1-847-938-2655, both of Abbott; or Media Relations, Caroline
Pecquet, +1-650-467-7078, or Investor Relations, Kathee Littrell,
+1-650-225-1034, both of Genentec