Renagel in New Dialysis Study Published in Kidney International

Data Show That Patients Treated with Renagel Achieve Mortality Benefit

    CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genzyme Corporation
 ( GENZ) announced today that findings published in the online
 version of Kidney International demonstrate that patients using Renagel
 experienced a significantly lower rate of death compared with patients
 using calcium-based phosphate binders in a newly completed study.
     The results were drawn from the Renagel in New Dialysis study (RIND), a
 randomized open-label trial involving 127 patients new to hemodialysis at
 five dialysis centers in the United States. All-cause mortality was a
 pre-specified secondary endpoint. Results of the primary endpoint -- a
 comparison of the degree of coronary artery calcification after 18 months
 of treatment -- were published last year and also showed a statistically
 significant result in favor of the Renagel-treated population.
     According to the study design, patients new to hemodialysis were
 randomized to receive either Renagel or a calcium-based phosphate binder,
 and were followed for an average of 44 months of treatment. Over the
 treatment period, 34 deaths occurred among study participants, including 23
 patients who were using calcium-based binders and 11 who were using
 Renagel. The difference between the two groups was statistically
 significant (p=0.05). After adjustments were made for a range of factors,
 including age, race, gender and several baseline medical characteristics,
 the difference between the two groups was even greater (p=0.016).
     "These results are significant because they show for the first time
 that higher levels of coronary artery calcification are associated with a
 higher incidence of death in patients on dialysis," said principal
 investigator Geoffrey Block, M.D., of Denver Nephrologists, PC, Denver,
 Colorado. "Given the high mortality rate seen in patients on dialysis,
 control of coronary artery calcification should be an important
 consideration for health professionals when determining the type of therapy
 that is appropriate for their patients."
     Today's findings build on previously published data by establishing a
 link between choice of phosphate binders, calcification levels, and
 mortality. Earlier results from the RIND study showed that while each type
 of phosphate binder helped patients achieve the target levels for
 phosphorus and calcium- phosphorus product outlined in the 2003 National
 Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI)
 guidelines, patients using calcium-based phosphate binders experienced more
 rapid and more severe progression of coronary artery calcification than
 those using Renagel.
     "This study provides important insights for patients and caregivers by
 highlighting the benefits of initiating treatment with Renagel from the
 time that a patient begins on dialysis," said Richard Moscicki, chief
 medical officer, Genzyme.
     The Renagel in New Dialysis study was funded by Genzyme.
     About Renagel
     Renagel controls serum phosphorus in patients with chronic kidney
 disease on hemodialysis. Controlling serum phosphorus is an important
 element in the care of hemodialysis patients. Elevated serum phosphorus
 levels are common in dialysis patients and associated with increased risk
 of cardiovascular mortality. Renagel provides the added benefit of
 significant LDL cholesterol reduction (32 percent).
     The National Kidney Foundation's 2003 K/DOQI guidelines for Bone
 Metabolism and Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease recommend sevelamer
 hydrochloride as a first-line treatment option to control phosphorus.
 Renagel is the only phosphate binder available that does not contain either
 calcium or a metal. It has an established safety profile, is not
 systemically absorbed and provides phosphorus control without the concerns
 of calcium or metal accumulation. Renagel is used by more than 350,000
 people worldwide.
     Product Information
     Renagel is indicated for the control of serum phosphorus in patients
 with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis. Renagel is
 contraindicated in patients with hypophosphatemia or bowel obstruction. In
 a 52-week study, the most common side effects included vomiting, nausea,
 diarrhea, and dyspepsia. Drug-drug interactions may occur with some
 medications and should be taken into consideration when instructing
 patients how to take Renagel.
     For more information about Renagel, including complete prescribing
 information, please visit www.renagel.com.
     About Genzyme
     One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is
 dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with
 serious diseases. Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up
 to a diversified enterprise with more than 9,000 employees in locations
 spanning the globe and 2005 revenues of $2.7 billion. Genzyme has been
 selected by FORTUNE as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for" in the
 United States.
     With many established products and services helping patients in more
 than 80 countries, Genzyme is a leader in the effort to develop and apply
 the most advanced technologies in the life sciences. The company's products
 and services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease,
 orthopaedics, cancer, transplant and immune diseases, and diagnostic
 testing. Genzyme's commitment to innovation continues today with a
 substantial development program focused on these fields, as well as heart
 disease and other areas of unmet medical need.
     This press release contains forward-looking statements including,
 without limitation, statements about the RIND study's effect on physicians'
 treatment of dialysis patients. These statements are subject to risks and
 uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
 those projected in these forward-looking statements. These risks and
 uncertainties include, among others: additional analysis of the RIND data;
 the results of other studies and whether such results are consistent with
 the RIND data; the availability and extent of third-party reimbursement for
 Renagel(R); and the risks and uncertainties described in reports filed by
 Genzyme with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
 Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including without limitation the
 information under the heading "Factors Affecting Future Operating Results"
 in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
 Results of Operations section in Genzyme's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
 for the period ended September 30, 2006. Genzyme cautions investors not to
 place substantial reliance on the forward- looking statements contained in
 this press release. These statements speak only as of the date of this
 press release, and Genzyme undertakes no obligation to update or revise
 these statements.
     Genzyme(R) and Renagel(R) are registered trademarks of Genzyme
 Corporation.
     Genzyme's press releases and other company information are available at
 www.genzyme.com and by calling Genzyme's investor information line at
 1-800- 905-4369 within the United States or 1-703-797-1866 outside the
 United States.
     Media Contact:             Investor Contact:
     Dan Quinn                  Sally Curley
     (617) 768-6849             (617) 768-6140
 
 

SOURCE  Genzyme Corporation