With a total requirement of six injections over a 24-week course of treatment, the albinterferon alfa-2b monthly dosing regimen has the potential to offer an important option for the combination treatment of patients infected with genotypes 2 and 3 hepatitis C, said Mani Subramanian, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director, Clinical Research - Infectious Diseases, HGS. We look forward to the full presentation of final results from the current study at an appropriate scientific meeting later in 2010.

ZALBIN (also known as JOULFERON?® outside the U.S.) is being developed by HGS and Novartis under an exclusive worldwide co-development and commercialization agreement entered into in 2006. The two companies have successfully completed Phase 3 development of ZALBIN dosed every two weeks. HGS has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA in the United States for ZALBIN dosed every two weeks and has received confirmation that its submission was accepted for filing with a PDUFA target date of October 4, 2010. Novartis has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Europe for the same dosing regimen under the brand name JOULFERON?®.