Phase 2 data on Zerenex as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia for dialysis patients requiring high doses of phosphate binders to be presented on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 10:00am PDT

NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) today announced that an abstract related to the clinical data of the 55-patient Phase 2 high-dose study of Zerenex (ferric citrate) has been accepted for presentation during the poster sessions to be held at the upcoming American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Renal Week Meeting and exposition taking place October 27-November 1 in San Diego, California.

Poster Number: PO-361, entitled "Evaluation of Ferric Citrate as a Phosphate Binder in Dialysis Patients Requiring High Doses of Phosphate Binders" will be presented on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 10:00am PDT during the "Dialysis: Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Clinical Trials: Non-Cardiovascular I" Poster Session, and will be available for viewing from 10:00am-12:00pm PDT.

Top-line data from the study discussed in the poster was previously announced by the Company.

About Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals is focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of medically important pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including cancer and renal disease. Keryx is developing KRX-0401 (perifosine), a novel, potentially first-in-class, oral anti-cancer agent that inhibits the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, a key signaling cascade that has been shown to induce cell growth and cell transformation. KRX-0401 has demonstrated both safety and clinical efficacy in several tumor types, both as a single agent and in combination with novel therapies. KRX-0401 also modulates a number of other key signal transduction pathways, including the JNK and MAPK pathways, which are pathways associated with programmed cell death, cell growth, cell differentiation and cell survival. KRX-0401 is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for multiple tumor types, with a Phase 3 in multiple myeloma, under Special Protocol Assessment (SPA), pending commencement by year-end. Keryx is also developing Zerenex(TM) (ferric citrate), an oral, iron-based compound that has the capacity to bind to phosphate and form non-absorbable complexes. Zerenex has recently completed a Phase 2 clinical program as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia (elevated phosphate levels) in patients with end-stage renal disease, and Keryx is in the process of finalizing the U.S. Phase 3 program for Zerenex in consultation with the FDA. Keryx is headquartered in New York City.

Cautionary Statement

Some of the statements included in this press release, particularly those anticipating future clinical and business prospects for Zerenex (ferric citrate), may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Among the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are the following: our ability to successfully complete clinical trials for Zerenex; our ability to meet anticipated development timelines for Zerenex due to recruitment, clinical trial results, manufacturing capabilities or other factors; our ability to replicate in our planned Phase 3 clinical program the efficacy and safety of Zerenex observed in the previous Phase 2 and the Open Label Extension clinical trials, and the effects on IV iron and EPO use observed in these previous clinical trials; and other risk factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at www.keryx.com. The information in our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included as an inactive textual reference only.

    KERYX CONTACT:
        Lauren Fischer
        Director, Investor Relations
        Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
        Tel: 212.531.5962
        E-mail: lfischer@keryx.com

SOURCE Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

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