Bristol-Myers Squibb and Millennium Predictive Medicine Establish Unique Pharmacogenomics Alliance in Cancer Treatment

Princeton, N.J., and Cambridge, Mass. (PROTEXT) - CompaniesTake Bold New Step Toward Personalized Medicine. Bristol- Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Millennium PredictiveMedicine, Inc. (MPMx), a majority-owned subsidiary of MillenniumPharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM), today announced they haveentered into a unique alliance in the emerging field of cancerpharmacogenomics. This is the use of genetic information todevelop new anticancer therapies to treat specific patientpopulations or tumor types, or to tailor existing therapies toindividual patients. Bristol-Myers Squibb, the world leader incancer therapies, is collaborating with MPMx, a world leader inthe new field of predictive medicine, to apply this exciting newresearch approach to some of Bristol-Myers Squibb's oncologydrugs in development and to marketed products. The Bristol-Myers Squibb/MPMx collaboration is the firstintegrated application of cancer pharmacogenomics utilizing newmedicines and existing therapies. The alliance will coordinatethe development of therapeutic products and pharmacogenomictests. Therapeutic products resulting from this alliance will bebrought to market by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Pharmacogenomic testswill be brought to market by one or more leading diagnosticscompanies, selected by MPMx and Bristol-Myers Squibb. During the five-year term of the alliance, Bristol-MyersSquibb will provide MPMx with $32 million in license fees, annualfees, and research funding. Milestone and royalty payments willbe made to MPMx upon the completion of certain milestones. Thisis believed to be one of the largest pharmacogenomics alliancesto date. The goal of the partnership is to identify and validateoncology clinical markers -- genes or proteins -- that can helppredict patients' responses to specific cancer treatment regimensand aid the development of new cancer therapies. The clinicalmarkers linked to drug response or tumor types will be identifiedthrough the use of both companies' genomics and bioinformaticstechnology platforms. By integrating clinical markers and genomictechnology into the treatment of cancer, therapies could betailored to individual patients, thereby boosting efficacy andreducing side effects. "Bristol-Myers Squibb is deeply committed to improving cancertreatments for patients and their families," said Peter Ringrose,Ph.D., president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical ResearchInstitute. "We expect that pharmacogenomics is going torevolutionize the way medicines are developed and prescribed, andour partnership with MPMx moves us closer to the promise ofpersonalized medicine and tailored therapies. Following thisinitiative in cancer, Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed toapplying pharmacogenomics to new medicines and existing therapiesacross our pipeline in every therapeutic area." "With this alliance, we are continuing to increase the valueof MPMx through potential participation in downstream products,"said Kenneth Conway, president of MPMx. "We have now begun toexecute the second phase of our business strategy by forging apartnership in the area of pharmacogenomics. Through thispharmacogenomic partnership and MPMx's existing alliances, we arepursuing our long-term vision of changing the practice ofmedicine." "This groundbreaking partnership combines the number onecompany in oncology therapeutics with the number one company inpredictive medicine," said Mark Levin, chief executive officer ofMillennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "We believe that together, thepartnership will change the way oncology is practiced. This is akey demonstration of our downstream evolution towards productsand our drive to build the biopharmaceutical company of thefuture." Millennium Predictive Medicine, Inc., a majority-ownedsubsidiary of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is developinggenomic- and proteomic-derived products and services toaccelerate and improve the diagnosis, treatment and prediction ofdisease. Millennium, a leading drug discovery and development company,employs large-scale genetics, genomics, high throughput screeningand informatics in an integrated science and technology platform.This innovative drug discovery platform is applied across theentire healthcare sector, from gene identification throughpatient management, to accelerate and transform the discovery anddevelopment of proprietary therapeutic and Diagnomics(TM)products and services. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts,Millennium and its affiliates currently employ more than 850people. Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified, worldwide health andpersonal care company whose principal businesses arepharmaceuticals, consumer medicines, beauty care, nutritionals,and medical devices. It is a leading maker of innovativetherapies for cardiovascular, metabolic, and infectious diseases,central nervous and dermatological disorders, and cancer. Thecompany is a leader in consumer medicines, orthopaedic devices,ostomy care, wound management, nutritional supplements, infantformulas, and hair and skin care products. This press release contains forward-looking statements thatinvolve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the factorsthat could cause actual results to differ materially from thoseindicated in such forward looking statements includeuncertainties relating to gene identification, drug discovery andclinical development processes; Millennium's ability tosuccessfully integrate the operations of LeukoSite, Inc.; changesin relationships with strategic partners and dependence uponstrategic partners for the performance of critical activitiesunder collaborative agreements; the impact of competitiveproducts and technological changes; uncertainties relating topatent protection and regulatory approval; and uncertaintiesrelating to the ability of Millennium and its affiliates toobtain the substantial additional funds required for progress indrug discovery and development. The factors that could affect theperformance of Millennium are more fully described in filings byMillennium with the Securities and Exchange Commission includingbut not limited to the factors set forth under the heading"Business - Factors That May Affect Results" in the Annual Reporton Form 10-K of Millennium for the year ended December 31, 1998as filed on March 24, 1999. Note: This release is available on Millennium's home page at:http://www.mlnm.com Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb on the World Wide Web at:http://www.bms.com. ots Original Text Service: Bristol-MyersSquibb Company & Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: William Dunnett of Bristol-Myers Squibb, (USA)609-252-3369, or william.dunnett@bms.com; orClare Midgley, (USA) 617-679-7480, or Sally McCraven, (USA) 617-577-3548, or mccraven@mpi.com, both of Millennium PharmaceuticalsCompany News On-Call: Bristol-Myers Squibb press releasesavailable by fax, (USA) 800-758-5804, ext. BMYFAX, or 269329, orat http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/269329.html Web site:http://www.mlnm.com Web site: http://www.bms.com

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