BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that the United States Patent Office has issued patents covering stable tablet formulation and the approved once daily dosing regimen for Kuvan (sapropterin dihydrochloride) for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). The patent for stable tablet formulation expires in 2025, and the patent for the once daily dosing regimen expires in 2024.

"We believe the issuance of these two patents is significant in strengthening our proprietary position on Kuvan," said Jean-Jacques Bienaime, Chief Executive Officer of BioMarin. "These patents provide coverage for Kuvan's formulation and approved dosing regimen that extends approximately ten years beyond orphan drug protection and we believe will prevent therapeutically equivalent competition from entering the market."

About Kuvan

Kuvan (sapropterin dihydrochloride) Tablets are indicated in the United States to reduce blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) due to tetrahydrobiopterin- (BH4-) responsive phenylketonuria (PKU). Kuvan is to be used in conjunction with a Phe-restricted diet. The active ingredient in Kuvan, sapropterin dihydrochloride, is the synthetic form of 6R-BH4 (tetrahydrobiopterin), a naturally occurring enzyme cofactor that works in conjunction with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) to metabolize Phe.

Kuvan has received orphan drug designation from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Kuvan has received seven years of orphan exclusivity in the United States and ten years of market exclusivity in the E.U.

About PKU

PKU, a genetic disorder affecting approximately 50,000 diagnosed patients in the developed world, is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. PAH is required for the metabolism of phenylalanine, an essential amino acid found in most protein-containing foods. If the active enzyme is not present in sufficient quantities, Phe accumulates to abnormally high levels in the blood and becomes toxic to the brain, resulting in a variety of complications including severe mental retardation and brain damage, mental illness, seizures, tremors, and limited cognitive ability. As a result of newborn screening efforts implemented in the 1960s and early 1970s, virtually all PKU patients under the age of 40 in developed countries have been diagnosed at birth. To learn more about PKU, please visit www.PKU.com. Information on this website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

About BioMarin

BioMarin develops and commercializes innovative biopharmaceuticals for serious diseases and medical conditions. The company's product portfolio comprises three approved products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates. Approved products include Naglazyme (galsulfase) for mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI), a product wholly developed and commercialized by BioMarin; Aldurazyme (laronidase) for mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I), a product which BioMarin developed through a 50/50 joint venture with Genzyme Corporation; and Kuvan (sapropterin dihydrochloride) Tablets, for phenylketonuria (PKU), developed in partnership with Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany. Other product candidates include PEG-PAL (PEGylated recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase), which is currently in development for the treatment of PKU and GALNS (N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfatase), which is currently in Phase I/II clinical development for the treatment of MPS IVA. For additional information, please visit www.BMRN.com. Information on BioMarin's website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the business prospects of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., including, without limitation, statements about: expectations related to patents associated with Kuvan. These forward-looking statements are predictions and involve risks and uncertainties such that actual results may differ materially from these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: possible actions by others to challenge, invalidate or design around the patents; and those factors detailed in BioMarin's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the factors contained under the caption "Risk Factors" in BioMarin's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, and the factors contained in BioMarin's reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Stockholders are urged not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. BioMarin is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

BioMarin , Naglazyme and Kuvan are registered trademarks of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

  Aldurazyme  is a registered trademark of BioMarin/Genzyme LLC.

  Contact:

  Investors                                   Media
  Eugenia Shen                                Susan Berg
  BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.                BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
  (415) 506-6570                              (415) 506-6594

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: eshen@bmrn.com

SOURCE: BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.