Aspen and BMS conclude strategic ARV deal

Aspen and BMS conclude strategic ARV deal                                       
Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited                                               
Registration No. 1898/000252/06                                                 
Share Code: APN                                                                 
ISIN: ZAE000066692                                                              
Press Release                                                                   
Aspen One                                                                       
February 15, 2006                                                               
Aspen and BMS conclude strategic ARV deal                                       
New York - JSE listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (APN), Africa"s largest 
pharmaceutical manufacturer and the largest generic manufacturer in the southern
hemisphere, has signed a non-exclusive license and technology transfer          
collaboration agreement with New York based Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) for the  
manufacture and distribution of a generic version of Atazanavir, a new          
generation anti-retroviral (ARV).                                               
BMS selected Aspen through a bidding process as one of only two pharmaceutical  
manufacturers globally. The royalty-free, perpetuity agreement provides for the 
manufacture and distribution of Aspen Atazanavir, a generic version of          
Atazanavir, to World Bank Tier 1 designated territories. This country           
classification is rated according to the human development index and it equates 
to some 70 countries including a number of countries outside of Africa.         
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group CEO says "this initiative between a world healthcare  
leader and a South African based pharmaceutical company further highlights the  
confidence that global pharmaceutical manufacturers have in Aspen"s             
capabilities. It is indicative of Aspen"s ability to align itself with one of   
the world"s leading companies in an attempt to solve what has largely become an 
African based problem. The deal is evident of Aspen"s positioning at the cutting
edge of treatments for the developing world as the group continues to strive to 
ensure that ARV treatment reaches as many people as possible."                  
"A further advantage of this agreement is that Aspen has collaborated with      
Indian-based Asterix Laboratories, of which Aspen owns 50%, for the development 
of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) thereby fully integrating the   
deal from base level chemicals to the finished products."                       
Saad said "this announcement shortly follows the State of the Union Address of  
the President of South Africa, in which President Mbeki confirmed that South    
Africa has one of the largest ARV treatment programmes in the world.  This      
initiative with BMS will assist in broadening access to resource limited        
communities in the South Africa programme and beyond the boarders of South      
Africa."                                                                        
Aspen Two Last                                                                  
"This agreement builds on Bristol-Myers Squibb"s long-standing commitment to the
global fight against AIDS," said Peter R. Dolan, Chief Executive Officer,       
Bristol-Myers Squibb. "In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the HIV/AIDS pandemic has   
been especially devastating, we"ve taken a broad-based approach to addressing   
the AIDS crisis, including providing our AIDS medicines at no profit prices and 
committing to ensure our patents do not prevent inexpensive treatment in the    
region.   With this new agreement, we"re taking our commitment to the next      
level, by expanding access to our newest antiretroviral in sub-Saharan Africa,  
where HIV/AIDS is a significant and growing public health challenge."           
"Aspen has remained committed to expanding access to HIV medicines in sub-      
Saharan Africa, where millions are suffering with the disease." said Stephen    
Saad. "We are pleased to be part of this innovative agreement, and have already 
begun the steps needed to get Atazanavir to the patients in sub-Saharan Africa  
who so desperately need it."                                                    
Saad says "the addition of Aspen Atazanavir further boosts Aspen"s already      
significant basket of ARVs. It provides broader global access to ARVs to meet   
the healthcare needs of some 4 million HIV/Aids positive Africans of which an   
estimated 10% are presently receiving treatment. Primary advantages of          
Atazanavir include it being a new generation ARV providing significant          
improvement over existing therapies, and that it is taken orally once daily.    
With ARV molecules continually being refined, available data confirms that      
Atazanavir has an enhanced efficacy and safety profile compared to other ARV    
molecules. Atazanavir is also a United States Food and Drug Administration      
dossier which further complements Aspen"s strategy to manufacture ARVs for      
President Bush"s US$15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR)          
programme.                                                                      
The product will be produced at Aspen"s world class oral solid dosage (OSD)     
facility which has been accredited by the US FDA for the manufacture of co-     
packed generic ARVs. This deal enables Aspen to access existing data, fulfil the
technology transfer, register the product through the South African Medicines   
Control Council and start manufacturing Aspen Atazanavir locally.               
ends                                                                           
Issued by:          Shauneen Beukes, Shauneen Beukes Communications             
                    Tel: (012) 661-8467  : Cell: 082 389 8900                   
On Behalf Of:       Stephen Saad, Aspen Holdings Group CEO                      
Tel: (031) 580-8602  :  Cell:  083 303 4833                 

                    Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Senior Executive                    
                    Cell: 082 458 3135 (presently in New York)                  
Johannesburg : February 15, 2005                                                
Sponsor: Investec Bank Limited                                                  
Date: 16/02/2006 07:51:07 AM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
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