SuperGen Reports 2008 Second Quarter Financial Results

DUBLIN, Calif., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SuperGen, Inc. , a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, rapid development and commercialization of therapies for solid tumors and hematological malignancies, today announced financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2008.

Total revenues for the 2008 second quarter were $8.1 million, compared with $4.6 million for the same prior year period. Total revenues for the 2008 second quarter and same prior year period consisted entirely of royalty revenue. Royalty revenue is earned pursuant to the license agreement entered into with MGI PHARMA (acquired by Eisai Co., Ltd. in January 2008) during 2004, which granted MGI PHARMA exclusive rights to the development, manufacture, commercialization and distribution of Dacogen(R) (decitabine) for Injection. The Company recognizes royalty revenue on a cash basis when it is received.

Excluding gain on sale of products, total costs and operating expenses for the 2008 second quarter were $11.0 million, compared with $19.6 million for the same prior year period. The primary reason for the decrease in total costs and operating expenses for the 2008 second quarter were lower acquired in-process research and development costs, a reduction in general corporate expenses and lower stock-based compensation expense offset in part by higher research and development costs related to increased product development activities including ongoing clinical operations and accrual of estimated severance costs in the amount of $322,000 related to the anticipated closure of our European operation later this year. Closure of the European operation is anticipated to reduce operating expenses in future periods up to $1 million annually. Stock-based compensation expense, which is included in operating expenses, was $670,000 for the 2008 second quarter, compared with $1.1 million for the same prior year period.

The gain on sale of products for the 2008 second quarter was $560,000 compared with $25.8 million for the same prior year period. The gain on sale of products for the 2008 second quarter represents the receipt of an annual payment in the amount of $400,000 paid by Mayne Pharma (acquired by Hospira, Inc. in February 2007) related to the sale of Nipent(R) (pentostatin for injection) and the reversal of a residual product returns reserve for Nipent no longer required due to the expiration of the contractual return period in the amount of $160,000. The gain on sale of products for the same prior year period related primarily to the sale of Nipent and SurfaceSafe(R) representing the initial recognition of the deferred gain on sale of products to Mayne Pharma and also the recognition of gains on the sale of other products to Intas Pharmaceuticals.

Loss from operations for the 2008 second quarter was $2.3 million compared with income from operations of $10.9 million for the same prior year period. The Company reported a net loss for the 2008 second quarter of $4.9 million, or $0.08 per share, compared with net income of $11.1 million, or $0.19 per share, for the same prior year period. The net loss for the 2008 second quarter includes a non-operating charge of $3.1 million that reflects an other than temporary decline in value in the Company’s equity investment in AVI BioPharma. There was no similar non-operating charge in the same prior year period.

Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $16.3 million, compared with $9.0 million for the same prior year period. Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 consisted of $16.3 million in royalty revenue, compared with $8.4 million for the same prior year period. Royalty revenue is earned pursuant to the license agreement entered into with MGI PHARMA. The Company recognizes royalty revenue on a cash basis when it is received. There was no net product revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2008, compared with $621,000 for the same prior year period. The decrease in net product revenue during 2008 is due to the sale of the Company’s worldwide rights for Nipent to Mayne Pharma in a prior period.

Excluding gain on sale of products, total costs and operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $22.0 million, compared with $28.5 million for the same prior year period. The primary reason for the decrease in total costs and operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were lower acquired in-process research and development costs and a reduction in stock-based compensation expense offset in part by higher research and development costs related to increased product development activities including ongoing clinical operations and accrual of estimated severance costs related to the anticipated closure of our European operation later this year. Stock-based compensation expense, which is included in operating expenses, was $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008, compared with $2.3 million for the same prior year period.

The gain on sale of products for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $1.6 million compared with $25.8 million for the same prior year period. The gain on sale of products for the six months ended June 30, 2008 represents the receipt of multiple payments totaling $1.4 million paid by Mayne Pharma that related to the sale of Nipent and SurfaceSafe and the reversal of a residual product returns reserve for Nipent no longer required due to the expiration of the contractual return period in the amount of $160,000. The gain on sale of products for the same prior year period related primarily to the sale of Nipent and SurfaceSafe representing the initial recognition of the deferred gain on sale of products to Mayne Pharma and also the recognition of gains on the sale of other products to Intas Pharmaceuticals.

Loss from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $4.2 million compared with income from operations of $6.4 million for the same prior year period. The Company reported a net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2008 of $5.9 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with net income of $7.7 million, or $0.14 per share, for the same prior year period. The net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2008 includes a non-operating charge of $3.1 million that reflects an other than temporary decline in value of the Company’s equity investments. There was no similar non-operating charge in the same prior year period.

As of June 30, 2008, the Company had approximately $87.6 million in current and non-current unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

2008 Revised Annual Financial Guidance

The Company has not changed significantly its annual financial guidance from the 2008 first quarter conference call. Selected elements of our revised annual financial guidance include the following:

— Royalty revenue for 2008 remains unchanged and is forecasted in a range from $32 million to $35 million.

— Research and development expenses remain unchanged for 2008 and are expected to total approximately $34 million to $36 million.

— Selling, general and administrative expenses have been reduced slightly from the previous annual guidance and are expected to total approximately $13 million for 2008.

— The Company is forecasting to record a non-cash charge in the amount of $5.2 million to acquired in-process research and development during 2008 representing a potential milestone payment to the former Montigen stockholders. This payment made in the form of equity is contingent on the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a second drug emanating from the acquired technology.

— Additional receipts related to the sale of products to be paid by Mayne Pharma are anticipated during 2008 in a range from $1.6 million to $2.6 million. These payments will be classified as gain on sale of products.

— Included in total operating expenses for 2008 is a reduced amount from previous guidance for non-cash stock-based compensation expense estimated at $3.5 million annually.

— Based on the revised 2008 financial guidance loss from operations is estimated in a range from $16.6 million to $18.6 million.

— Revised weighted average shares outstanding for 2008 are estimated at 58.1 million common shares.

   Recent Corporate Events:    -- April 2008:  The Company had multiple abstracts accepted for oral and      poster presentation at the American Association of Cancer Research      (AACR) Annual Meeting, that took place April 12-16 in San Diego,      California.  Highlights of the presentations are included below:       -- SGI-1776, our lead pre-clinical PIM kinase inhibitor, was found to         cause tumor regression in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) xenograft         models (Abstract No. 4974).  In an oral presentation entitled, "A         potent small molecule PIM kinase inhibitor with activity in cell         lines from hematological and solid malignancies," Dr. Steven Warner,         SuperGen's Manager, Discovery Biology, detailed how scientists used         the Company's CLIMB(TM) technology to build a model that allowed for         the creation of small molecule PIM kinase inhibitors.  SGI-1776 was         identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of the PIM kinases,         inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, thereby causing a         reduction in phospho-BAD levels and enhancement of mTOR inhibition         in vitro.  SGI-1776 induced significant tumor regression in MV-4-11         (AML) and MOLM-13 (AML) xenograft models.       -- MP-470, an early clinical-stage multi-targeted tyrosine kinase         inhibitor and Rad51 suppressor, was shown to be bioavailable and         well-tolerated in a first in human study (Abstract No. 4083).  The         presentation entitled, "MP-470, a potent oral Rad51 suppressor is         safe and tolerable in first-in-human study," summarized the data         suggesting that MP-470 is well-tolerated when administered in doses         of up to 900 mg per day.  Additionally, it was found that Rad51         expression is modulated in a dose-dependent manner.  This is         consistent with pre-clinical studies where MP-470 was shown to         sensitize cancer cells to DNA damaging agents and radiation therapy         by suppressing Rad51, a protein responsible for repair of double         strand DNA breaks in cancer cells.       -- MP-470 was shown to effectively sensitize prostate and breast cancer         cells to erlotinib (Abstract No. 671).  The presentation entitled,         "Inhibition of erlotinib resistance on HER-family tyrosine kinases         by combination with MP-470, a multi-targeted TK inhibitor in         prostate and breast cancer," highlighted data suggesting that the         combination of MP-470 and erlotinib inhibits the binding of the p85         subunit of PI3K.  The poster outlined the enhanced impact of the         combination of MP-470 and erlotinib, compared to either agent alone         in reducing phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, EGFR/HER1, HER2/Neu, and         HER3.       -- S-110, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, demonstrated an improved         in vivo activity profile over decitabine (Abstract No. 2613).  The         presentation  entitled, "Decitabine administered as a Dinucleotide         prodrug increases its in vivo efficacy due to enhanced drug delivery         and stability," highlighted data indicating that S-110 showed robust         anti-tumor activity in prostate and cisplatin-resistant ovarian         carcinoma xenograft models. Additionally, S-110 restored sensitivity         to cisplatin in the ovarian cancer model. Reduced toxicity was         observed along with an increased half-life compared to decitabine.    -- June 2008:  The Company had two abstracts accepted for oral and poster      presentation at the 13th Congress of the European Hematology      Association (EHA) that took place June 12-15, 2008 in Copenhagen,      Denmark.  Highlights of the presentations are included below:       -- SGI-1776, an oral PIM kinase inhibitor, causes tumor regression in         acute myologenous leukemia (AML) xenograft models (abstract #744).         In a poster presentation entitled "A potent small molecule PIM         kinase inhibitor with in vivo oral availability and activity in cell         lines from hematological malignancies," Dr. Gregory Berk, SuperGen's         Chief Medical Officer, detailed how scientists used the CLIMB         technology to build a model that allowed for the creation of small         molecule PIM kinase inhibitors.  SGI-1776 was identified as an         orally available, potent and selective inhibitor of the PIM kinases.         SGI-1776 induces cell cycle arrest, dose dependent apoptosis and a         reduction in phospho-BAD levels in leukemia and lymphoma cell lines.         Phospho-BAD is a direct substrate for PIM, and may serve as a useful         in vivo biomarker for future clinical trials.  Most notably,         SGI-1776 induced significant tumor regression in MOLM-13 (AML) and         MV-4-11 (AML) xenograft models.       -- SGI-1252, the Company's JAK2 kinase inhibitor, inhibits tumor cell         proliferation in vivo (abstract #741).  In an oral presentation         titled "SGI-1252: A Potent Small Molecule JAK2 Inhibitor," Dr.         Steven Warner, Manager of Discovery Biology, highlighted how         SuperGen scientists used the Company's CLIMB technology to identify         SGI-1252 as a possible JAK2 inhibitor.  Dr. Warner presented data         indicating that SGI-1252 selectively inhibits wildtype and mutant         JAK2 activity in cancer cell lines, resulting in inhibition of STAT5         phosphorylation as well as a reduction in Bcl-XL expression.         SGI-1252 was also shown to inhibit tumor growth in mouse xenograft         models.  Pharmacokinetic studies suggest that SGI-1252 is orally         bioavailable.    -- July 2008:  The Company commented on the preliminary data from a Phase      3 trial, initiated in 2002, comparing Dacogen to best supportive care      (BSC) in elderly patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).  The      data did not demonstrate a statistically significant advantage of      Dacogen treatment on median survival compared to BSC, the primary      endpoint of the study.  However, response rates were similar to those      observed in other clinical trials of Dacogen in patients with MDS. The      trial, conducted by the European Organisation for Research and      Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), administered Dacogen on a three-day dosing      schedule in which the number of treatment cycles was limited.  MDS is a      potentially life-threatening group of bone marrow diseases that limit      the production of functional blood cells.  Subsequent to database lock      and the completion of data analysis, comprehensive results of the      study, including secondary efficacy endpoints and safety data, will be      presented by EORTC at an upcoming scientific forum.     Conference Call Information  

SuperGen will host a conference call to discuss the results of the 2008 second quarter financial results today at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET. The webcast will be accessible via the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site at http://www.supergen.com/. A webcast replay of the live conference call will be available shortly following the event. Alternatively, you may access a replay of the conference call by dialing 1-888-286-8010 (domestic) and 1-617-801-6888 (international); replay passcode number is 85497056. The webcast replay and conference call replay will be available for 90 days.

About SuperGen

Based in Dublin, California, SuperGen, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, rapid development and commercialization of therapies for solid tumors and hematological malignancies. SuperGen is developing a number of therapeutic anticancer products focused on kinase and cell signaling inhibitors and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. For more information about SuperGen, please visit http://www.supergen.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created thereby. The actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding SuperGen’s expectation that it will receive the balance of the purchase price for Nipent from Mayne Pharma, expectations regarding the various abilities of MP-470, including its multi-arm Phase 1b clinical trial, expectations about the efficacy of S-110, expectations about revenue, gains from sales of non-core assets and operating expenses, expectations regarding the anticipated reduction in operating expenses as a result of the anticipated closure of SuperGen’s European operations, expectations regarding the filing of a second IND with the FDA, as well as SuperGen’s expectations and successful development of all its pipeline products. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to the achievement of developmental milestones with respect to the compounds acquired in the Montigen acquisition, the research and development of MP-470, S-110 or SGI-1776, the satisfaction of the contingencies related to the sale of the worldwide rights to Nipent to Mayne Pharma, and the ability of MGI to generate global sales of Dacogen. In general, our future success is dependent upon numerous factors, including our ability to generate pre-clinical development candidates for selection into clinical testing, obtaining regulatory approval of product development programs, conducting and completing clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval of our products and product candidates, and creating opportunities for future commercialization of compounds. Our future revenue and operating and net income or loss could be worse than anticipated if demand for our products is less than expected, or if the introduction of new products is delayed, for any reason, including regulatory delay. References made to the discussion of risk factors are detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including reports on its most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update or revise the information contained in any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

   Contacts:    Timothy L. Enns                   Mary M. Vegh   SuperGen, Inc.                    SuperGen, Inc.   SVP, Corporate Communications     Manager, Investor Relations   & Business Development   Tel: (925) 560-0100               Tel: (925) 560-2845   E-mail:  [email protected]       E-mail:  [email protected]      Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Balance Sheets                               to follow ...                                  SUPERGEN, INC.              CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS                  (In thousands, except per share amounts)                                (Unaudited)                                 Three Months Ended         Six Months Ended                                      June 30,                  June 30,                                 2008         2007         2008         2007    Revenues:     Net product revenue           $-           $-           $-         $621     Royalty revenue            8,133        4,619       16,271        8,413       Total revenues           8,133        4,619       16,271        9,034    Costs and operating expenses:     Cost of product revenue        -            -            -          221     Research and development   7,740        5,953       15,687       11,015     Selling, general,      and administrative        3,273        3,697        6,350        7,273     Acquired in-process      research and      development                   -        9,967            -        9,967     Gain on sale of      products                   (560)     (25,849)      (1,560)     (25,849)       Total costs and        operating expenses     10,453       (6,232)      20,477        2,627    Income (loss) from    operations                 (2,320)      10,851       (4,206)       6,407    Interest income                497        1,040        1,303        1,984   Other than temporary    decline in value of    investments                (3,052)           -       (3,055)           -   Other income (expense)          (4)          19            9           20   Income (loss) before    income tax provision       (4,879)      11,910       (5,949)       8,411    Income tax provision             -         (833)           -         (663)    Net income (loss)          $(4,879)     $11,077      $(5,949)      $7,748   Net income (loss) per    common share:     Basic                     $(0.08)       $0.19       $(0.10)       $0.14     Diluted                   $(0.08)       $0.19       $(0.10)       $0.14   Weighted average shares    outstanding:     Basic                     57,542       57,010       57,531       56,237     Diluted                   57,542       58,143       57,531       57,087                                  SUPERGEN, INC.                   CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS                               (In thousands)                                                     June 30,    December 31,                                                      2008           2007                                                  (Unaudited)                               ASSETS    Current assets:     Cash and cash equivalents                      $76,344        $78,055     Marketable securities                            8,483          9,375     Accounts receivable, net                             3             71     Accounts receivable from Mayne Pharma               11             58     Prepaid expenses and other current assets        1,288            728       Total current assets                          86,129         88,287    Marketable securities, non-current                 2,733          3,419   Property, plant and equipment, net                 4,652          4,435   Goodwill                                             731            731   Other intangibles, net                               319            532   Restricted cash and investments, non-current       2,592          2,536   Other assets                                         508            508       Total assets                                 $97,664       $100,448                  LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY    Current liabilities:     Accounts payable                                $2,614         $2,327     Accrued liabilities                                247            687     Payable to AVI BioPharma                           565            565     Deferred gain on sale of products to      Mayne Pharma                                      600            600     Accrued payroll and employee benefits            2,350          2,782       Total current liabilities                      6,376          6,961    Deferred rent                                        744            832       Total liabilities                              7,120          7,793    Total stockholders' equity                        90,544         92,655       Total liabilities and stockholders'        equity                                      $97,664       $100,448  

SuperGen, Inc.

CONTACT: Timothy L. Enns, SVP, Corporate Communications & BusinessDevelopment, +1-925-560-0100, [email protected], or Mary M. Vegh, Manager,Investor Relations, +1-925-560-2845, [email protected], both of SuperGen,Inc.

Web site: http://www.supergen.com/