Connetics issued U.S. patent for emollient-foam technology

Connetics Corporation, a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes dermatology products, announced today that on May 4, 2004 the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued to Connetics Patent No. 6,730,288 B1. The patent has 7 independent product claims, and covers a pharmaceutical aerosol foam composition having occlusive capability. Connetics expects this technology will be incorporated into its next generation of foam products. Patents covering this technology have previously been issued in Australia and New Zealand, and patent applications are pending in a number of other countries.

"Connetics continually strives to strengthen and expand its intellectual property portfolio. The issuance of this U.S. patent supports our goal of continuously developing a pipeline of products that provide enhanced efficacy and consumer satisfaction," said Tom Wiggans, Chief Executive Officer of Connetics. "Our intellectual property portfolio and dermatology products for our emollient foams as well as for our other products are the result of discovery and development efforts that we have put in place to ensure a stream of innovative products and technologies for the dermatology market. Our formulation group in Australia, as well as our Center For Skin Biology and other development groups in Palo Alto have given Connetics unique and valuable capabilities unlike any other company in dermatology."

A significant portion of patients with dermatoses require a strong moisturizing vehicle to alleviate dryness and scaling. Connetics has been developing its E-Foam delivery vehicle as a cosmetically and functionally elegant solution to displace emollient-based and ointment-based treatments. Connetics anticipates delivering its first E-Foam product using Desonide (0.05%) in 2006. Desonide-E will be a product entrant into the over $150 million low-potency market, a market in which Desonide already is the leading Class VI steroid prescribed by dermatologists.

In addition, Connetics' core product OLUX(R) (clobetasol propionate) Foam, 0.05% has entered development as an E-Foam candidate. OLUX(R) is a foam formulation of clobetasol propionate, a powerful topical corticosteroid indicated for short-term topical treatment of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of moderate-to-severe corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses of the scalp, and for short-term topical treatment of mild-to-moderate plaque-type psoriasis of non-scalp regions excluding the face and intertriginous areas.