Cangene further focuses on key markets

    
                       Readers are referred to the cautionary notes regarding
                       Forward-looking Information at the end of this release

                                      Listed TSX, Symbol: CNJ
    

TORONTO & WINNIPEG, Aug. 13 /CNW/ - Cangene Corporation today reports that it will further focus its commercialization efforts on key markets for its products in the near term. Cangene acquired the U.S. commercialization rights to HepaGam B(R) (Hepatitis B Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)) in October 2009 and soon after began building a U.S. sales force. And although Cangene recently received European marketing approval for a single indication for Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (the product that is marketed in North America for two indications as HepaGam B(R)), it has decided that the size of the European market for this indication alone does not currently warrant further commercialization efforts. Accordingly, it intends to withdraw its licence. Cangene also recently assumed the U.S. commercialization rights to WinRho(R) SDF (Rho(D) Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)) after having exited from the European market with WinRho(R) SDF in the previous year. With its new sales force, Cangene began selling HepaGam B(R) and WinRho(R) SDF in-house in February and June respectively. To support the new U.S. commercial focus and current and future distribution requirements, Cangene has built expanded warehouse facilities at its Cangene bioPharma, Inc. location in Baltimore, Maryland. The 8,000-square-foot warehouse came on-line this month.

"As we moved into this new fiscal year, we've reviewed our commercialization strategy and will continue to focus on the markets where we can optimize our commercial assets. Consequently, our primary focus in the near term will be on the U.S. and Canada for our existing commercial products," said Dr. John Langstaff, Cangene's president and CEO. "We will also continue to explore opportunities for our products in other global markets."

About Cangene Corporation

Cangene is one of Canada's largest and earliest biopharmaceutical companies. It was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cangene has approximately 800 employees in eight locations across North America and its products are sold worldwide. It operates three large manufacturing facilities - two in Winnipeg, Manitoba and one in Baltimore, Maryland - where it produces its own products and undertakes contract manufacturing for a number of companies. Cangene operates three U.S. and one Canadian plasma-collection facilities branded as Cangene Plasma Resources (www.cangeneplasma.com). In addition, it has a regulatory affairs, sales and corporate communications office in Toronto, Ontario.

Cangene is focused on developing therapeutics for infectious diseases, and the Company uses patented manufacturing processes to produce plasma-derived and recombinant therapeutic proteins. Cangene has five FDA and/or Health Canada-approved products. In addition, the Company has several more products in development at various stages. Three of Cangene's products have been accepted into the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile - botulism antitoxin (investigational product), anthrax immune globulin (investigational product) and vaccinia immune globulin, a product used to counteract certain complications that may arise from smallpox vaccination. Capitalizing on its drug manufacturing expertise, Cangene also operates a significant contract research and manufacturing business using the resources of Baltimore, Maryland-based Cangene bioPharma, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary; formerly Chesapeake Biological Laboratories, Inc.; www.cangenebiopharma.com). Cangene's website, www.cangene.com, includes product and investor information, including past news releases.

Forward-looking and risk information

The reader should be aware that Cangene's businesses are subject to risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified; consequently, actual results may differ materially from past results and those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such risks or uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the regulatory environment including the difficulty of predicting regulatory outcomes; changes in the value of the Canadian dollar; the Company's reliance on a small number of customers including government organizations; the demand for new products and the impact of competitive products, service and pricing; availability and cost of raw materials, especially the cost, availability and antibody concentration in plasma; fluctuations in operating results; government policies or actions; progress and cost of clinical trials; reliance on key strategic relationships; costs and possible development delays resulting from use of legal, regulatory or legislative strategies by the Company's competitors; uncertainty related to intellectual property protection and potential costs associated with its defence; the Company's exposure to lawsuits; and other matters beyond control of management. Risks and uncertainties are discussed more extensively in the MD&A section of the Company's most recent annual report and annual information form, which are available on the Company's website or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The preceding cautionary statements should be considered in connection with all written or oral statements, especially forward-looking statements, that are made by the Company or by persons acting on its behalf and in conjunction with its periodic filings with Securities Commissions, including those contained in the Company's news releases and most recently filed annual information form. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "plans", "will", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "may", "bodes" and other words of similar meaning (including negative and grammatical variations). Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should management's assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly make or update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.

"Cangene", "HepaGam B", "WinRho" and "WinRho SDF" are trademarks belonging to Cangene Corporation.

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For further information: about this release, please contact Paul Brisebois at [phone] or by email at [email protected]