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ViroPharma to Host Investor 'Teach-In' Educational Symposium on Hereditary Angioedema

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 March 2009, 10:48 CST

- Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) and the Dawn of New Therapeutics -

EXTON, Pa., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ViroPharma Incorporated (Nasdaq: VPHM) announced today that the company will provide a live audio webcast of its 'Teach-in' educational event for investors on Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. Lectures will be provided by Anthony J. Castaldo and Janet Long, president and vice president, respectively, of the U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association (HAEA), and Aleena Banerji, M.D., an HAE specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The 'Teach-in', entitled 'Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) and The Dawn of New Therapeutics' will be held from 5:00 P.M. until 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time on Tuesday March 10, 2009.

"We are thrilled to enlist the participation of these key opinion leaders in the field of hereditary angioedema, who each day deal with the severe ramifications of HAE in their patients, families, and constituents," commented Will Roberts, ViroPharma's vice president of corporate communications. "As the proud stewards of the only approved C1 inhibitor therapy on the market, ViroPharma is committed to fostering our role as leaders in the space through the execution of essential disease awareness and investor programs."

A live audio webcast of the meeting may be accessed via the investor section of the ViroPharma corporate website, http://www.viropharma.com. The archive of the meeting will be available through March 24, 2009.

About Cinryze C1 Inhibitor (human)

Cinryze is a highly purified, pasteurized and nanofiltered plasma-derived C1 inhibitor product that has been approved by FDA for routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with HAE. C1 inhibitor therapy has been used acutely for more than 30 years in Europe to treat patients with C1 inhibitor deficiency. Cinryze has not been approved for acute treatment in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

Cinryze has been well tolerated. The most common adverse reactions observed have been upper respiratory infection, sinusitis, rash and headache. No drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs) have been observed in clinical trials. Severe hypersensitivity reactions may occur. Thrombotic events have occurred in patients receiving high dose off-label C1 inhibitor therapy well above the approved treatment dosage regimen. With any blood or plasma derived product, there may be a risk of transmission of infectious agents, e.g. viruses and, theoretically, the CJD agent. The risk has been reduced by screening patients for prior exposure to certain virus infections and by manufacturing steps to reduce the risk of viral transmission including pasteurization and nanofiltration.

Cinryze is for intravenous use only. A dose of 1000 Units Cinryze can be administered every 3 or 4 days for routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in HAE patients. Cinryze is administered at an injection rate of 1 mL per minute.

About ViroPharma Incorporated

ViroPharma Incorporated is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of products that address serious diseases treated by physician specialists and in hospital settings. ViroPharma commercializes Vancocin(R) (vancomycin hydrochloride capsules, USP), approved for oral administration for treatment of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis caused by Clostridium difficile and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains, and Cinryze(TM) (C1 inhibitor (human)) for routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE), also known as C1 inhibitor deficiency (for prescribing information on ViroPharma's commercial products, please download the package inserts at http://www.viropharma.com/Products.aspx). ViroPharma currently focuses its drug development activities in diseases including cytomegalovirus (CMV), HAE and C. difficile.

ViroPharma routinely posts information, including press releases, which may be important to investors in the investor relations and media sections of our company's web site, www.viropharma.com. The company encourages investors to consult these sections for more information on ViroPharma and our business.

SOURCE ViroPharma Incorporated

Source: PR Newswire

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