– Medal Recognizes Technological Innovation and Global Health Impact of PREVNAR Against Leading Vaccine-Preventable Cause of Death in Children Younger Than Five –
Madison, N.J., July 27, 2007 – Wyeth announced that a team of Wyeth scientists involved in the discovery, development and manufacture of PREVNAR®, Pneumococcal 7-valent Conjugate Vaccine (Diphtheria CRM197 Protein), will be awarded the 2005 National Medal of Technology today by President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony. The National Medal of Technology is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement. PREVNAR is the first and only vaccine available to help protect infants and toddlers against invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes. The Medal is given to individuals, teams, and companies for outstanding contributions to the nation’s economic, environmental and social well-being, and recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to the United States’ standard of living and quality of life through technological innovation. The members of the Wyeth team honored by the White House are Drs. Ronald Eby, Velupillai Puvanesarajah, Dace Madore and Ms. Maya Koster. “This award is a testament to these outstanding scientists and their colleagues as well as the pioneering science employed by Wyeth in the development of PREVNAR,†says Bernard Poussot, President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman, Wyeth. “This honor is also exemplary of the rich talent that is driving leading-edge research at Wyeth that will contribute to the improvement of global public health for years to come.†Pneumococcal disease, a group of illnesses including bacteremia/ sepsis, meningitis, and bacteremic pneumonia, results in up to 1 million deaths each year in young children globally, and is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death in children younger than five years of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in March 2007 its position to support the priority inclusion of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) in national immunization programs worldwide. About the National Medal of Technology The annual National Medal of Technology, bestowed by the President since 1985 as the Nation’s highest award for technological innovation, was mandated by Congress in 1980 to recognize the significant contributions that America’s leading innovators have made to the Nation’s economic strength and standard of living. Further information is available at http://www.technology.gov/medal. About Pneumococcal Disease Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and affects both children and adults. According to the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of death and illness worldwide. Important Safety Information about PREVNAR In clinical trials (n=18,168), the most frequently reported adverse events included injection site reactions, fever (≥38ºC/100.4ºF), irritability, drowsiness, restless sleep, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Risks are associated with all vaccines, including PREVNAR. Hypersensitivity to any vaccine component, including diphtheria toxoid, is a contraindication to its use. PREVNAR does not provide 100% protection against vaccine serotypes or protect against nonvaccine serotypes. PREVNAR has previously been recognized with the American Chemical Society’s Heroes of Chemistry Award, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America’s Discoverer’s Award and the Prix Galien (Canada). About Wyeth Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health. The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on current expectations of future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include the inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of, and expense associated with, research, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our products, including with respect to our pipeline products; government cost-containment initiatives; restrictions on third-party payments for our products; substantial competition in our industry, including from branded and generic products; data generated on our products; the importance of strong performance from our principal products and our anticipated new product introductions; the highly regulated nature of our business; product liability, intellectual property and other litigation risks and environmental liabilities; uncertainty regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others; difficulties associated with, and regulatory compliance with respect to, manufacturing of our products; risks associated with our strategic relationships; economic conditions including interest and currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; trade buying patterns; the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance; risks and uncertainties associated with global operations and sales; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption “Item 1A, RISK FACTORS.†The forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these risk factors. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. # # # # #