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Companies to Advance Renin Inhibitors as New Class of Cardiovascular Drugs

    LONDON and FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (NYSE:   GSK) and Vitae Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced
 today that they have formed an exclusive worldwide strategic alliance to
 develop and commercialize novel drug compounds for the treatment of
 hypertension and related cardiovascular disorders.
     Vitae will receive an upfront payment from GSK which is comprised of both
 cash and an equity investment in Vitae.  Vitae will also receive committed
 funding to support research activities conducted by Vitae and further payments
 upon the achievement of research, development and regulatory milestones.
 Aggregate payments to Vitae during pre-commercial activities for the lead
 product would be $175 million.  GSK will pay Vitae royalties on the sale of
 all products upon commercialization.  In addition, Vitae retains the right to
 co-promote any product in the US resulting from this alliance.  The agreement
 will become effective upon the completion of customary closing conditions and
 regulatory approvals, including Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance.
     Vitae has created multiple, novel chemical series of renin inhibitors
 which are very potent and highly orally bioavailable using its proprietary
 drug discovery engine, Contour(TM).  These series have progressed from
 discovery to achievement of animal model proof of concept in less than 12
 months.  Under the alliance, the parties will pool their respective renin
 programs and collaborate to identify and select compounds for clinical
 development.  GSK will then lead and fund development and commercialization of
 renin inhibitors.
     "This alliance enables GSK to capitalize on Vitae's research and discovery
 efforts in the area of renin inhibition and continue to build on GSK's
 capabilities and commitment to cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Eliot
 Ohlstein, Senior Vice President, Cardiovascular and Urogenital Centre of
 Excellence for Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline.  "We are enthusiastic about
 the potential of renin inhibitors to offer a new approach for the growing
 number of patients impacted by this disease."
     "GSK, a world-class global pharmaceutical partner, will provide Vitae with
 significant resources and the expertise needed to successfully develop and
 commercialize our renin inhibitors," said Jeffrey Hatfield, CEO of Vitae
 Pharmaceuticals.  "Offering significant potency and oral availability, our
 unique renin inhibitor compounds show promise as a breakthrough treatment for
 hypertension.  We are very excited to work with GSK to create best-in-class
 medicines that make a difference and meaningfully improve patient outcomes."
 
     About Hypertension
     Hypertension is a common disorder in which blood pressure is abnormally
 high, placing undue stress on the heart, blood vessels and other organs such
 as the kidney and brain.  Hypertension is a major contributing factor to
 cardiovascular diseases and death.  In North America and Europe it is
 estimated that more than one third of the population over the age of 35
 suffers from hypertension, including an estimated 70 million people in the US
 alone.  Consequences of hypertension include heart attack, stroke, renal
 disease, aneurysms, retinal vascular damage, left ventricular hypertrophy and
 failure, and cerebrovascular disease.
 
     About Renin Inhibition
     Renin plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. Renin
 is an enzyme secreted by the kidney in response to a decrease in blood
 pressure and circulating blood volume.  Within the bloodstream, renin
 initiates a series of reactions in the renin-angiotensin pathway to induce
 vascular constriction and increase vascular resistance, correspondingly
 increasing blood pressure.  Suppression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS)
 using drug therapies has been shown to reduce blood pressure and associated
 cardiovascular events.
     Renin inhibitors offer a novel approach because they act further upstream
 in the renin-angiotensin pathway than currently available treatments.  Renin
 inhibitors work through a mechanism of action that simultaneously inhibits
 renin and reduces plasma renin activity (PRA), in contrast to other therapies
 which act on the RAS but result in increased PRA which is believed to be
 harmful to end organs, such as the heart, kidney and brain.
 
     About Vitae Pharmaceuticals
     Vitae Pharmaceuticals is an emerging pharmaceutical company dedicated to
 the discovery and development of innovative drugs by advancing its pipeline of
 product candidates.  Vitae is uniquely able to discover innovative compounds
 by accelerating and enhancing the drug discovery skills and experience of
 proven drug hunters with world-class, proprietary drug design technologies
 developed in collaboration with Intel Corporation.  Vitae Pharmaceuticals is
 financed by leading corporate and venture capital investors and is
 headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.  For additional information,
 please visit the company's website, http://www.vitaepharma.com.
 
     About GlaxoSmithKline
     GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical
 and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life
 by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more
 information, please visit the company's web site at http://www.gsk.com.
 
     Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
     Under the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation
 Reform Act of 1995, the company cautions investors that any forward-looking
 statements or projections made by the company, including those made in this
 Announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
 results to differ materially from those projected.  Factors that may affect
 the Group's operations are described under 'Risk Factors' in the Operating and
 Financial Review and Prospects in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for
 2004.
 
 

SOURCE  GlaxoSmithKline