NPS Pharmaceuticals Enrolls First Patient in Global Registry Designed to Characterize the Natural Hi

NPS Pharmaceuticals Enrolls First Patient in Global Registry Designed to Characterize the Natural History of Hypoparathyroidism

-- PARADIGHM aims to elucidate nature of hypoparathyroidism and ultimately optimize clinical decision making --

BEDMINSTER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NAS: NPSP) , a biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide, today announced the company has initiated enrollment of PARADIGHM, a global natural history registry for patients with hypoparathyroidism. Patients will be enrolled and followed for at least 10 years to characterize this rare, complex endocrine disorder under conditions of normal clinical practice.

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder in which the body produces insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone, the principal regulator of calcium and phosphorus. When the body has too little parathyroid hormone, blood calcium levels drop and phosphorus levels increase, which can cause a multitude of nearly 40 physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms, including uncontrollable muscle spasms and cramps, tetany, seizures, fatigue, anxiety and depression.

"A common challenge in the rare disease space is that the disorders are often misunderstood, due to a lack of fundamental information characterizing the complications and long-term risks," said Roger Garceau, MD, FAAP, executive vice president and chief medical officer of NPS Pharmaceuticals. "We are launching PARADIGHM to create a comprehensive database that builds our understanding of the nature of hypoparathyroidism and its burden, so that the unmet needs of patients may ultimately be better addressed."

There is limited data illustrating the fundamental aspects of hypoparathyroidism. The objective of PARADIGHM is to fill this scientific need by characterizing the natural history of chronic hypoparathyroidism, including its treatment, clinical outcomes, comorbidities and mortality as observed in a typical clinical setting. The ultimate goal for compiling the PARADIGHM registry is to assist healthcare practitioners in optimizing clinical decision making for patients with hypoparathyroidism. The registry is designed to help healthcare practitioners better understand the variability, progression and natural history of the disorder.

Physicians Advancing Disease Knowledge in Hypoparathyroidism (PARADIGHM) is a prospective, observational, natural history registry that is open to patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism, regardless of age, gender, etiology or management of the disorder. No study-defined procedures will be required and a select data set will be collected at baseline and at least annually, as available.

About Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder in which the body produces insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone, the principal regulator of calcium and phosphorus. When the body has too little parathyroid hormone, blood calcium levels drop and phosphorus levels increase, which can cause a number of physical and mental symptoms, including uncontrollable muscle spasms and cramps, tetany, seizures, fatigue, anxiety and depression. There is currently no FDA-approved replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism, which is currently managed with large doses of calcium supplementation and active vitamin D therapy to raise the calcium levels in the blood and reduce the severity of symptoms. Over time, calcium may build up in the body and result in serious health risks, including calcifications in the kidneys, heart or brain. The U.S. prevalence of hypoparathyroidism is estimated to be approximately 60,000 to 80,000.

About NPS Pharmaceuticals

NPS Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide. The company's lead product, Gattex® (U.S.)/Revestive® (EU) (teduglutide [rDNA origin]) for injection is approved for adult Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) patients who are dependent on parenteral support. NPS has also developed Natpara® (rhPTH [1-84]) for the treatment of adult hypoparathyroidism and, subject to the resolution of certain manufacturing issues, expects to submit its marketing application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2013.

NPS's earlier stage pipeline includes two calcilytic compounds, NPSP790 and NPSP795, with potential application in rare disorders involving increased calcium receptor activity, such as autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH). NPS complements its proprietary programs with a royalty-based portfolio of products and product candidates that includes agreements with Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Kyowa Hakko Kirin. Additional information about NPS is available through its corporate website, http://www.npsp.com.

"NPS," "NPS Pharmaceuticals," "Gattex," "Natpara," "Revestive," "Preotact," and "NPS Advantage" are the company's trademarks. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks appearing in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

Disclosure notice

Statements made in this press release, which are not historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the company's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the company's future financial performance. Risks associated to the company's business include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with any failure by the company to successfully commercialize Gattex (teduglutide [rDNA origin])for injection, including the risk that physicians and patients may not see the advantages of Gattex and may therefore be reluctant to utilize the product, the risk that private and public payers may be reluctant to cover or provide reimbursement for Gattex, the risk that the company may be unable to resolve the manufacturing issue in order to submit its BLA for Natpara, the risks associated with the company's strategy, global macroeconomic conditions, the impact of changes in management or staff levels, the effect of legislation effecting healthcare reform in the United States, as well as other risk factors described in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs. All information in this press release is as of the date of this release and NPS undertakes no duty to update this information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Susan M. Mesco, 908-450-5516
smesco@npsp.com

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