DEERFIELD, Ill. - As part of its ongoing global commitment to assist patients suffering from severe illnesses, OVATION Pharmaceuticals announced donations of critically needed medications through two organizations that will distribute products to people in underdeveloped nations and countries in crises.

The company donated nearly $1.3 million of high-need medications to AmeriCares, a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization. AmeriCares plans to allocate OVATION's donation to families in Armenia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico to support emergency and ongoing medical needs in these regions.

"Developing nations are still some of the most underserved in the world," said Jeffrey S. Aronin, president and chief executive officer of OVATION. "We have worked tirelessly to fulfill our mission of ensuring that patients have access to the medicines they need and we are pleased to extend this commitment to underdeveloped countries. The plight of these nations only strengthens OVATION's resolve to improve the quality of patient care and access to important medicines so patients suffering from severe illnesses receive their necessary therapies."

"The reality is that without OVATION's donation, people in need wouldn't have access to these important therapies," said Elizabeth Walsh, communications manager for AmeriCares.

Separately, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will distribute Chemet®, OVATION's chelating medicine, to hospitals in Kosovo that are treating children with severe lead poisoning. OVATION has the only FDA-approved product in pill form that chelates, or binds, with lead. Lead-related illnesses have especially affected Roma children, who are encamped near lead mines in Kosovo since being displaced from their homes during the Kosovo war in 1999.

"Lead toxicity is a serious condition that especially affects young children," Aronin added. "Left untreated, lead poisoning may lead to learning disabilities and kidney damage. In addition, elevated levels of lead in the bloodstream have been known to cause seizures and possibly death. It is our hope that our donation to Kosovo can save the lives of these children."

According to Mary Jean Brown, ScD, RN, chief of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch at CDC, "OVATION's donation will help ensure a brighter tomorrow for these children whose future otherwise seemed bleak."

About CHEMET
Mild to moderate neutropenia has been observed in some patients receiving Chemet, therefore, patients should be monitored during treatment. After therapy, patients should be monitored for rebound blood lead levels. The most common adverse events attributable to succimer in clinical trials were gastrointestinal symptoms or increases in serum transaminases (10%) and rash (4%).

About OVATION Pharmaceuticals

OVATION is a fully integrated pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets medically necessary therapies to satisfy unmet medical needs of underserved populations of patients with severe illnesses. Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., with products available in more than 85 countries, OVATION is committed to having a significant impact on patients' lives through its focus on the central nervous system (CNS), hematology/oncology, and hospital-based therapies. Four of the company's anticipated five new product launches in the next five years will be therapies for rare disorders fueled by the company's late-stage CNS pipeline, which is one of the most robust in the industry. More information about the company may be found at www.ovationpharma.com.

Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc

Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc

OVATION Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a fully integrated pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets life-saving therapies for underserved populations. With products available in more than 85 countries, OVATION is committed to having a significant impact on patients' lives through its focus on central nervous system (CNS), hematology/ oncology, and hospital-based therapies. Four of its anticipated five new product launches in the next five years will be fueled by the company's late-stage CNS pipeline, which is one of the most robust in the industry.

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