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Gilead Sciences Submits Marketing Authorisation Application for Aztreonam Lysine 75 mg Powder for Nebuliser Solution, a Potential New Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis, to European Medicines Agency



    Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced the submission
    of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for marketing approval
    of aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution (aztreonam
    lysine) in the European Union. The MAA will be reviewed by the
    Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), subject to
    validation by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Review of the MAA
    will be conducted by the EMEA under the centralized licensing
    procedure, which, when finalized, provides one marketing authorization
    in all member states of the European Union. Aztreonam lysine is an
    investigational therapy in development for people with cystic fibrosis
    (CF) who have pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa)
    infection. Aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution is
    administered using an eFlow(R) Nebuliser (PARI GmbH).

    The MAA is supported by data from two Phase III clinical studies
    (AIR-CF1 and AIR-CF2) and interim data from an ongoing open-label
    extension study (AIR-CF3) of patients who participated in AIR-CF1 or
    AIR-CF2.

    "Chronic pseudomonal airway infection represents the single
    greatest cause of morbidity and mortality for people with cystic
    fibrosis, and with a limited number of inhaled antibiotics, there
    remains a significant unmet medical need," said A. Bruce Montgomery,
    MD, Senior Vice President, Head of Respiratory Therapeutics, Gilead
    Sciences. "The submission of this MAA in the European Union further
    underscores Gilead´s commitment to advancing therapies for patients
    with this life-threatening disease."

    Aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution is an
    investigational therapy and has not yet been determined safe or
    efficacious in humans.

    About Aztreonam Lysine 75 mg Powder for Nebuliser Solution

    Aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution is an
    antibiotic candidate currently being studied in an ongoing Phase III
    open label trial for people with cystic fibrosis who have pulmonary P.
    aeruginosa. Aztreonam has potent activity against Gram-negative
    bacteria such as P. aeruginosa. Aztreonam formulated with arginine
    is a U.S. Food Drug and Administration (FDA)-approved agent for
    intravenous administration. Aztreonam lysine is a proprietary
    formulation of aztreonam developed specifically for inhalation and has
    been designated with orphan drug status in the United States and
    Europe.

    In the United States, the investigational product is referred to
    as aztreonam lysine for inhalation. Gilead submitted its U.S. New Drug
    Application for aztreonam lysine for inhalation to the FDA on November
    16, 2007. The FDA has established a target review date, under the
    Prescription Drug User Fee Act, of September 16, 2008. Gilead
    submitted its application in Australia on November 30, 2007.

    About the AIR-CF Phase III Program

    The Phase III AIR-CF clinical program was designed to determine
    the safety and efficacy of aztreonam lysine for use in people with
    cystic fibrosis who have pulmonary P. aeruginosa. In each of these
    studies, aztreonam lysine was administered by the PARI eFlow
    Electronic Nebulizer.

    AIR-CF1 was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study
    designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a 28-day treatment
    course of aztreonam lysine in people with cystic fibrosis who have
    pulmonary P. aeruginosa. The primary endpoint was the change at day 28
    from baseline in respiratory symptoms as assessed by the Cystic
    Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R). This study enrolled 164
    patients who were randomized to receive 28 days of treatment with
    aztreonam lysine or volume-matched placebo administered three times
    daily. Results from this study were presented at the 21st Annual North
    American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC) in Anaheim, California on
    October 4, 2007.

    AIR-CF2 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
    designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a 28-day treatment
    course with aztreonam lysine following a 28-day treatment course of
    tobramycin inhalation solution in people with cystic fibrosis who have
    pulmonary P. aeruginosa. Patients were randomized to receive 28 days
    of treatment with 75 mg of aztreonam lysine or volume-matched placebo
    each administered two times or three times daily. Patients were
    followed for an overall study period of 126 days, with 56 days of
    observation after receiving aztreonam lysine therapy or placebo.
    Results from this study were presented at the Cystic Fibrosis
    Therapeutics Development Network conference in Seattle, Washington on
    April 19, 2007 and at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS)
    Conference in Belek, Turkey on June 14, 2007.

    AIR-CF3 is an open-label, multi-center study of patients who
    participated in the AIR-CF1 or AIR-CF2 studies. The primary objective
    of the study is to evaluate the safety of repeated exposure to
    aztreonam lysine in people with cystic fibrosis. Patients will receive
    treatment with aztreonam lysine with the same dosing regimen they
    received in AIR-CF1 or AIR-CF2. This trial is ongoing. Limited interim
    data from this study were presented in a plenary session at NACFC on
    October 5, 2007.

    About PARI Pharma and eFlow(R) Nebuliser

    Aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution is delivered
    by an eFlow(R) Nebuliser, developed by PARI Pharma GmbH. eFlow is a
    portable nebuliser that enables aerosolization of liquid medications
    via a vibrating, perforated membrane. PARI Pharma also contributed to
    the development and optimization of the drug formulation (aztreonam
    lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution) for delivery via eFlow.
    Based on PARI´s 100-year history working with aerosols, PARI Pharma is
    dedicated to advancing inhalation therapies by developing innovative
    delivery platforms and new pharmaceutical formulations that work
    together to improve patient care.

    About Cystic Fibrosis

    Today, more than 70,000 people worldwide have cystic fibrosis.
    Cystic fibrosis is a chronic, debilitating genetic disease. A major
    characteristic of cystic fibrosis is production of abnormally thick,
    sticky mucus in the lungs that traps bacteria and predisposes people
    with cystic fibrosis to lung infections, which damage their lungs.
    Pulmonary infection with gram-negative bacteria, particularly
    pulmonary P. aeruginosa, represents the single greatest cause of
    morbidity and mortality among people with cystic fibrosis. Currently
    there is no known cure for cystic fibrosis, and the goal of cystic
    fibrosis therapy is to control symptoms and prevent further lung
    damage.

    About Gilead Sciences

    Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers,
    develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet
    medical need. The company´s mission is to advance the care of patients
    suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide. Headquartered in
    Foster City, California, Gilead has operations in North America,
    Europe and Australia.

    This press release includes forward-looking statements, within the
    meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that
    are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the
    risk that the EMEA, FDA or other regulatory agencies may not approve
    aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder for nebuliser solution for treatment of
    people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have pulmonary P. aeruginosa
    infection, and any marketing approval, if granted, may have
    significant limitations on its use. These risks, uncertainties and
    other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from
    those referred to in the forward-looking statements. The reader is
    cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and
    other risks are described in detail in Gilead´s Annual Report on Form
    10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 filed with the U.S.
    Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are
    based on information currently available to Gilead, and Gilead assumes
    no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

    For more information on Gilead, please call the Gilead Public
    Affairs Department at 1-800-GILEAD-5 (1-800-445-3235) or visit
    www.gilead.com.