Chicago, Illinois, September 17, 2003 Substantial treatment costs and illness are suffered by end-stage kidney (renal) disease (ESRD) patients who develop Staph aureus blood stream infections (bacteremias), according to new pharmacoeconomic studies presented this week at the 43rd annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Chicago, IL. Moreover, ESRD patients with Staph aureus bacteremia that are caused by bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic methicillin (MRSA) are at a higher risk of dying and incur higher treatment costs than patients with bacteremias caused by methicillin sensitive Staph aureus (MSSA). The two studies, sponsored by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: NABI) and executed by Duke University Medical Center, were presented by investigators from Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC.

"Staph aureus is the most common cause of serious hospital-acquired infections, including bloodstream infections, and their increased resistance to many different antibiotics is a growing source of concern in the medical community," said Henrik S. Rasmussen, M.D., Ph.D., Nabi Biopharmaceuticals senior vice president, clinical, medical and regulatory affairs. "Despite its clinical significance, the economic impact of Staph aureus bacteremia has not been fully appreciated. The two studies presented at ICAAC clearly describe the clinical outcomes, associated with health care resource utilization and infection-associated costs of Staph aureus bacteremia among a large group of prospectively identified, hemodialysis-dependent patients. The full data from these studies have been submitted for publication."

"Clearly, these studies point out the tremendous challenges that continue to face healthcare professionals trying to manage Staph aureus bacteremias in ESRD patients," continued Dr. Rasmussen. "These results underscore the need for a new approach such as Nabi Biopharmac
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Contact: Joan Kureczka
JKureczka@aol.com
415-821-2413
Kureczka/Martin Associates
17-Sep-2003

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