Anatabloc® Retail Expansion with GNC Complete: Product Now Available at all GNC Corporate Stores and GNC.com

GLEN ALLEN, Va., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: CIGX), announced today that it has completed its retail distribution of Anatabloc® at GNC, a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products.  As of this week, Anatabloc® is now available at all of GNC's corporate stores, which includes approximately 2,922 locations in all fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The product is also available at GNC.com and anatabloc.com.

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Anatabloc® was first offered to GNC customers on February 1, 2012, when the retailer began selling the product through GNC.com and on April 1 in select stores.  After sales of Anatabloc® showed impressive growth in-store, GNC decided to expand distribution to all of its US-owned retail locations, completing the expansion this week. 

Thomas Dowd, Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer & General Manager of GNC, commented, "Sales of Anatabloc®, both online and in our stores, have surpassed our expectations.  In just over three months, Anatabloc® has become one of our fastest growing products, and by making Anatabloc® available in all of our corporate stores, we are taking steps to ensure that our customers have easy access to one of the products most highly in demand."

In support of the expansion, GNC on June 1, 2012 will begin using an advertisement poster of professional golfer and Anatabloc® Brand Ambassador, Fred Couples, prominently displayed on the front window of every GNC corporate store.  Couples is a 32-year veteran of the PGA Tour, with over 50 professional tournament wins, including the Masters (1992).  In addition, he has been twice named the PGA Tour Player of the Year (1991, 1992).  The advertising campaign featuring Couples is expected to last two months. 

David M. Dean, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Star Scientific, Inc., stated, "GNC continues to be a valuable partner for Anatabloc® because of its reputation in the area of nutritional supplementation and its loyal customer base.  We are very much looking forward to an ongoing relationship with GNC as we continue to expand the marketing and distribution of Anatabloc®."

Paul L. Perito, CEO and Chairman of Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., further commented, "The recent notice of allowance for claims relating to the synthesis of anatabine ensures that we will be able to make available to GNC a product whose main ingredient has the benefit of being produced utilizing a process that will be covered by our patent."

Currently, more than half of GNC's 928 franchise stores have Anatabloc® on their shelves for in-store purchasing, and all franchise locations can order Anatabloc® for interested customers.

Certain statements contained in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, including the continued development and market acceptance of our nutraceutical and low-TSNA tobacco products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and/or regulation, including with respect to our nutraceutical and low-TSNA tobacco products, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement or any information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.

About Star Scientific
Star Scientific, Inc. is a technology-oriented company with a mission to promote maintenance of a healthy metabolism, as well as to reduce the harm associated with the use of tobacco at every level. Over the last several years, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Star Scientific has been engaged in the manufacturing, sale, and marketing of two nutraceutical dietary supplements, and the development of other nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. The company also has continued to pursue the development, implementation, and licensing of the technology behind its proprietary StarCured® tobacco curing process, which substantially prevents the formation of carcinogenic toxins present in tobacco and tobacco smoke, primarily the tobacco-specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs and related low-TSNA dissolvable tobacco products. Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals has scientific and research offices in Gloucester, MA, and a regulatory office in Washington, DC. Star Scientific has a Corporate and Sales Office in Glen Allen, VA, an Executive, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs office in Bethesda, MD, and a manufacturing facility in Chase City, VA.

Web: anatabloc.com l Facebook: www.facebook.com/Anatabloc 

About GNC
GNC Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplement products, sports nutrition products and diet products, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GNC."

As of March 31, 2012, GNC has more than 7,700 locations, of which more than 5,900 retail locations are in the United States (including 928 franchise and 2,146 Rite Aid franchise store-within-a-store locations) and franchise operations in 56 countries (including distribution centers where retail sales are made).  The Company – which is dedicated to helping consumers Live Well – has a diversified, multi-channel business model and derives revenue from product sales through company-owned retail stores, domestic and international franchise activities, third party contract manufacturing, e-commerce and corporate partnerships.  Its broad and deep product mix, which is focused on high-margin, premium, value-added nutritional products, is sold under GNC proprietary brands, including Mega Men®, Ultra Mega®, GNC Total Lean, Pro Performance® and Pro Performance® AMP, and under nationally recognized third party brands. 

For more than 75 years, GNC has been committed to bringing people superior GNC brand products using only the highest quality ingredients, manufactured under the strictest quality controls. Managing every stage of the process - from formulation to retailing - allows GNC to guarantee quality, purity and potency of GNC products.

Web: GNC.com l Twitter: @GNCLiveWell l Facebook: facebook.com/GNCLiveWell

Contact:
Talhia T. Tuck
Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations
Star Scientific, Inc.
(301) 654-8300
[email protected]

SOURCE Star Scientific, Inc.