Soliris is the first therapy approved in the U

Separately, Alexion announced today that it is currently initiating clinicaltrials of eculizumab in patients with aHUS. Soliris is approved in the UnitedStates, European Union, and Canada for the treatment of patients with paroxysmalnocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is characterized by hemolysis,thrombocytopenia and clotting of blood vessels (microangiopathy), particularlyin the kidney and brain, often progressing to end-stage kidney disease. Approximately 70 of patients withthe most common mutation experience chronic renal insufficiency, chronicdialysis, or death by one year after the first clinical episode.

(2) Followingkidney transplantation, recurrent aHUS causes kidney transplant failure inapproximately 62 - 88 of patients. During thisepisode, the patient did not respond to daily plasmapheresis, a procedurewhereby proteins are removed from the blood by circulating the patients bloodthrough a machine. When the patients condition deteriorated further, thephysician administered Soliris. Complete blockade of terminal complement wasobserved in this patient, and hematologic and renal improvement began within 48hours after initiation of treatment. The report further notes thateculizumab therapy is ongoing for over four months, to date, with sustaineddisease remission and no further plasma therapy intervention.

"It is well known that aHUS is a devastating disease without effective treatmentoptions," explained Dr Gruppo, lead author of the report. "Further, afterclinical worsening, there may be virtually nothing a physician can do to preventfurther kidney damage and eventual kidney failure. Thepatients aHUS condition continued to clinically worsen despite extensive plasmatreatments, indicating a high probability that the second kidney transplantwould fail. After the administration of eculizumab, hemolysis quickly resolved,platelet count rebounded and kidney transplant function recovered The patientsrenal graft function has remained stable.

Eculizumab appeared to be well tolerated in these two patients, with safetyobservations that have been consistent with those reported from controlledtrials with eculizumab in patients with PNH "There is a profound need to improve the management of aHUS. Information onthe trials can be requested by e-mail using the address ,or by visiting the Alexion website at and clicking on theclinical trials link. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) as the first treatment for PNH, a rare, debilitating and life-threateningblood disorder defined by hemolysis, or the destruction of red blood cells. InJune 2007 and January 2009, respectively, the European Commission (EC) andHealth Canada also approved the use of Soliris for the treatment of patientswith PNH. Soliris is the first therapy approved in the U.S., Europe and Canadafor the treatment of PNH and was the first medicinal product to receive ECapproval under the EMEA Accelerated Assessment Procedure. Soliris is notapproved in the U.S., Europe, Canada or elsewhere for the treatment of atypicalHemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS). Important Safety InformationSoliris is generally well tolerated.