MCHM Macrochem (MM)

MacroChem Presents EcoNail(TM) Clinical Data at Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting (1) LEXINGTON, Mass., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Chan, PhD, vice president of R&D and chief technology officer of MacroChem Corporation (NASDAQ:MCHM), will present data from the Company's Phase I human safety and tolerability study of EcoNail, at 11 AM today at the 66th annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID). The SID meeting is being held at the America's Convention Center in St. Louis, MO, May 4 through 7. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050506/NYF036 ) EcoNail is MacroChem's patented antifungal lacquer that contains econazole and SEPA(R), the Company's proprietary enhancer. Econazole effectively inhibits in vitro growth of the fungi that commonly cause a nail infection known as onychomycosis, which affects more than 30 million people in the U.S. In a poster presentation titled, "EcoNail lacquer in patients with severe onychomycosis: Safety, local tolerability, and systemic exposure," Dr. Chan will discuss results from MacroChem's recently completed human safety and tolerability study. Data from this study show that EcoNail was well tolerated and warrants advancement to efficacy trials. In addition to the study data, photographs of the target toenail from the first 14 completed patients were evaluated by independent dermatologists. The poster presentation includes photographs of toenails from 5 of those completed patients judged to have shown initial signs of nail improvement after either 12 or 18 weeks of treatment with EcoNail. "I am pleased that Dr. Chan is able to share these encouraging data with the scientific community," said Robert J. DeLuccia, MacroChem president and CEO. "The next step in the EcoNail development plan is a formal efficacy study, and we are in active discussions with prospective partners and working to secure the resources necessary to advance the program." An abstract of the EcoNail poster presentation is available on the MacroChem web site, http://www.macrochem.com/ . About MacroChem MacroChem is a specialty pharmaceutical company that innovates, develops and commercializes topically administered pharmaceuticals to treat important medical conditions. MacroChem is developing two products containing its patented enhancer, SEPA(R): Opterone(R), a SEPA-enhanced topical testosterone treatment for male hypogonadism; and EcoNail. For more information on MacroChem, and its technology and products, please visit our website at: http://www.macrochem.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements With the exception of historical information contained in this press release, the matters described herein are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. MacroChem's actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those discussed or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in MacroChem's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as those discussed elsewhere therein, and include, without limitation, risks regarding product development, the timing and results of clinical trials, the regulatory approval process, capital requirements, financial condition, patent protection and dependence on third parties for development and licensing arrangements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. MacroChem undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. (1) Editor's Note: Digital photographs of an EcoNail bottle and EcoNail application to an infected toenail are available upon request. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050506/NYF036 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: MacroChem Corporation CONTACT: Investor Contact: Bernard Patriacca of MacroChem Corporation, VP/CFO, +1-781-862-4003, Media Contact: Donna LaVoie of LaVoie Group for MacroChem Corporation, +1-781-96-0200 ext 103 Web site: http://www.macrochem.com/

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