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European Patent Office Provides Notification of Intention to Grant Hythiam Patent for Treatment of Alcohol Dependence

Posted on: Thursday, 6 April 2006, 09:01 CDT

Hythiam, Inc. (Nasdaq:HYTM), which licenses the PROMETA(TM) protocols designed to target the biology of substance dependence, announced today that the European Patent Office has stated on its website that grant of a patent is intended under Rule 51(4) EPC for Hythiam's European Patent Application No. 02 716 090.2-2107, which contains claims for the use of a composition of matter for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

Hythiam also disclosed that it has received issuance of alcoholism and cocaine dependence patents in Singapore, allowances for alcoholism and cocaine dependence patents applications in New Zealand, and allowance for its cocaine dependence treatment patent application in Australia.

"These patent notices are an important development for Hythiam and indicative of the unique potential of our technology," said Terren S. Peizer, Hythiam's Chairman and CEO. "We believe the additional protection from these patents, when issued, will further strengthen our position as an innovator in the field of substance abuse treatment."

About PROMETA

Hythiam's PROMETA(TM) treatment protocols are designed for use by healthcare providers seeking to treat individuals diagnosed with dependencies to alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamines, as well as combinations of these drugs. The PROMETA protocols include medically supervised procedures designed to address both the neurochemical imbalances in the brain and some of the nutritional deficits caused or worsened by substance dependence. Changes in brain chemistry and function play an important role in the physical and behavioral symptoms of substance dependence, including tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, craving and relapse. The PROMETA protocols also provide for one-month of prescription medication and nutritional supplements, combined with psychosocial or other recovery-oriented therapy chosen by the patient in conjunction with their treatment provider. As a result, PROMETA represents an innovative approach to managing alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine dependence that is designed to address physiological, nutritional and psychosocial aspects of the disease, and is thereby intended to offer patients an opportunity to achieve sustained recovery.

About Hythiam, Inc.

Hythiam(R) focuses on delivering solutions for those suffering from alcoholism and other substance dependencies. Hythiam researches, develops, licenses and commercializes innovative physiological treatment protocols that seek to address substance dependence. Additionally, Hythiam provides proprietary administrative services to assist physicians and facilities with staff education, marketing and sales support, and outcomes tracking for data analysis. For further information, please click on www.hythiam.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history and lack of statistically significant formal research studies, the risk that treatment protocols might not be effective, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and substantial regulation in the healthcare industry; and additional risks factors as discussed in the reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on its website at http://www.sec.gov.

Source: Business Wire

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