PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Company Press Release

SOURCE: BioMedicines, Inc.

BioMedicines, Inc. Completes Phase 2 Enrollment with Omega Interferon

Emeryville - BioMedicines, Inc. today announced that it has completed enrollment in its phase 2 clinical trial of omega interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Omega interferon is a naturally occurring human interferon manufactured by BioMedicines, Inc. through genetic engineering.

"We have enrolled our 90th patient in this multicenter study," said Peter J. Langecker, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President of Clinical Affairs. "Because the drug has been so well tolerated to date, we have been able to continue to increase the weekly dose. Higher doses have meant higher response rates."

Hepatitis C is a chronic viral disease infecting more than 170 million people worldwide, including more than 3 million in the United States. Hepatitis C is associated with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and progression to cancer of the liver.

Dr. Mark Moran, Chief Executive Officer, said, "Therapy with omega interferon holds the promise to simplify treatment for hepatitis. With ALZA we have now formulated omega interferon for use in the DUROS® implantable, subcutaneous drug delivery system. Our goal is to eliminate the need for patients to give themselves injections for months on end."

BioMedicines, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company, is developing first line therapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. The company specializes in redirecting the development of drugs to new and more valuable indications. The company has current development and/or commercialization agreements with ALZA, Boehringer Ingelheim, Schering AG, and the G.D. Searle subsidiary of Pharmacia. BioMedicines is headquartered in Emeryville, California. More information about the company is available at www.biomedicinesinc.com.

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