OctoPlus' licensee Biolex presents final Phase IIb results at EASL highlighting tolerability advantages of Locteron in treatment of HCV

March 31, 2011 Presentation highlights strong antiviral activity and SVR rates, significant reductions in flu-like adverse events and reduced rates of depression Significant tolerability advantages and a 50% reduction in dosing frequency support Locteron's attractiveness for use in new triple- and quad-combination regimens OctoPlus N.V. ("OctoPlus" or the "Company") (Euronext: OCTO) announces that its licensee Biolex Therapeutics will present today final results from the Locteron® Phase IIb clinical study at the 46th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Berlin, Germany. These data highlight important tolerability advantages of Locteron versus current HCV treatments. Jan Egberts, CEO of OctoPlus, comments: "These positive final results from the Phase IIb clinical study with Locteron further confirm the long term benefits of Locteron's controlled release mechanism. Our PolyActive technology has enabled the development of an interferon alpha with a significantly improved side effect profile, achieving both a 50% reduction in flu-like adverse events and substantially lower rates of depression compared to conventional interferon treatments. In combination with its reduced injection frequency, these benefits clearly position Locteron as the interferon of choice for future hepatitis C treatments." The following information was taken directly from Biolex' press release (see www.biolex.com). Biolex announces that final 72-week results from its SELECT-2 Phase 2b trial of Locteron® for the treatment of hepatitis C are being presented today at the 46th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Berlin, Germany. Data presented today show that Locteron achieved the SELECT-2 study objectives by demonstrating viral kinetics and response rates that were comparable with or exceeded the PEG-Intron® control while also achieving a statistically significant reduction in flu-like adverse events, reduced rates of depression, lower use of concomitant medications and a reduced rate of discontinuation due to adverse events. Locteron, the only controlled- release interferon alpha, is designed to offer key tolerability and dosing advantages over currently marketed interferons and serve as a core component of new combination therapies as the treatment of hepatitis C evolves to triple- and quad-drug regimens. Locteron dosing convenience and efficacy Locteron is administered once every other week and requires half as many injections as the currently marketed interferons, each of which are injected once per week. In SELECT-2, the sustained virologic response rate (SVR) for each of the three Locteron doses studied was comparable with or exceeded the response rate for the PEG-Intron control as outlined in the table below. Click on the link below for the press release including tables. Click here for the press release in PDF format: http://hugin.info/137076/R/1501932/437140.pdf This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: OctoPlus N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE [HUG#1501932]