Immunex Wins 1999 International Helix Award

SEATTLE, Washington, (May 18, 1999) Immunex Corp. today received the 1999 Helix Award at the BIO '99 International Meeting & Exhibition, in Seattle, Washington, for outstanding corporate achievement.

The Helix Award honors leadership in innovation, growth and corporate citizenship. It is sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) along with the Long Island Association (LIA) and the Center for Biotechnology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook.

"BIO's mission has always been to promote the highest standards of achievement among biotechnology companies," said BIO President Carl B. Feldbaum. "This year's presentation is especially rewarding given that Immunex is a Seattle-based company."

Immunex (NASDAQ:IMNX) is a biopharmaceutical company developing immune system science to protect human health. The company's products offer hope to patients with cancer and inflammatory and infectious diseases.

According to Long Island Association President Matthew T. Crosson, "We congratulate Immunex for winning the International Helix Award in its hometown of Seattle. The award was created by the long Island Association to honor excellence in biotechnology and Immunex has clearly demonstrated outstanding performance during the past year."

Gail Habicht, SUNY vice president for research, said, "SUNY and its Center for Biotechnology are proud to be sponsors of the International Helix Award. The award is presented annually at the BIO meeting on behalf of the business and research communities of the Long Island region where so much of the science fundamental to our industry was performed."

Previous winners were The Collaborative Group, of Stony Brook, N.Y.; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y.; and Biogen Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.

The International Helix Award is open to public and private U.S. or foreign-based biotechnology companies, and nominees are judged on demonstrated leadership in three categories: product development, economic growth and corporate citizenship. An independent panel of judges representing the biotechnology community reviewed each submission and KPMG LLP, an international professional services firm, tabulated the results.

BIO represents more than 850 biotechnology companies, academic institutions and state biotechnology centers in 47 states and 26 nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

LIA is the principal business organization of the Long Island region. Its diverse membership employs over half of the region's workforce and includes business, not-for-profit corporations, labor unions, hospitals, research institutions and civic groups. Among other things, the LIA seeks to coordinate economic development activities on Long Island, and expand opportunities in the region of high technology industries, such as biotechnology

SUNY has assumed an important role in the development of Long Island's biotechnology industry through its Center for Biotechnology and the Long Island High Technology Incubator Program. Collectively, they have supported the establishment of more than 80 high technology companies.

###