AAA Altana Aktiengesellschaft

ALTANA Inc Inaugurates 100,000 sq. ft. of Manufacturing Space in Hicksville, New York - Leading Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Cites Growth and Increased Demand for Topical Drugs Behind Expansion - HICKSVILLE, N.Y., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- ALTANA Inc, a division of ALTANA Pharma AG, today formally inaugurated a 100,000-sq. ft. state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Hicksville, New York, on Long Island. Elected officials, including New York State Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R-Syosset), joined company executives, employees and customers at a ribbon-cutting ceremony where the plant was officially opened for business. The plant will primarily be utilized by ALTANA's Fougera division for the production of a wide range of topical multisource antibiotics, ophthalmics and steroids covering a number of prescription applications. Certain products under ALTANA's PharmaDerm division will also be produced there. "Our core business is manufacturing topical drugs which save American consumers millions of dollars each year and help reduce or contain rising health care costs," said CEO Paul McGarty, who oversees ALTANA Inc. "Our robust product pipeline, which continues to give us a leadership position, necessitated the expansion of our Hicksville operation." Incorporating a 43,000-sq. ft. addition, the upgraded facility at 55 Cantiague Rock Road represents a near doubling of the company's manufacturing capability in Hicksville, where it employs 150 Long Islanders. An additional 350 people are employed at ALTANA's Melville, New York, headquarters location. In 2004, over 1.3 million kilos of bulk product, equating to nearly 50 million units, were produced at the Hicksville plant. With the upgrades, the facility now has an additional 30-40% production capacity, which will support the company's sustained growth in the future. The expanded facility, which is fully compliant with FDA-enforced Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), significantly improves material flows to and from the production line and provides enhanced operating efficiencies. The additional space also enabled the installation of new automated equipment. ALTANA Inc was commended by local officials for its commitment to maintaining and growing its operations in New York State. "ALTANA's commitment to expand its facility in Hicksville is welcome news for the community and will provide a strong measure of stability in the future for the local economy," Senator Carl L. Marcellino said. "Retaining and creating new jobs is vital to our continued economic growth and ALTANA Inc is playing a major role in fueling the economic development of Hicksville and all of Long Island." "We have enjoyed a long and proud record of success over 156 years of operation in New York State. Long Island is our home, and we have prospered thanks to the highly skilled and dedicated workforce we employ here," said Helen Corso, Vice President of Manufacturing. "The expansion is also consistent with our commitment to ongoing capital expenditure on property, plants and equipment to meet increased demand for topical pharmaceuticals." About Fougera Founded in 1849 Fougera, a division of ALTANA Inc, is a leading manufacturer of a wide array of multi-source topical and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals in prescription and over-the-counter forms. A top supplier to hospitals and pharmacies, Fougera has received more FDA approvals for topical products than any other company over the past six years. For more information, or to see a preview of new products, please visit: http://www.fougera.com/. About ALTANA Inc ALTANA Inc, one of two U.S. subsidiaries of ALTANA Pharma AG, an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany, is the managing group for four New York-based divisions including: Fougera and PharmaDerm, which produce topical dermatologic ointments and creams; Pharmaderm Animal Health, a manufacturer of topical preparations for animal care and Savage Laboratories, marketers of the antidotes CroFab(TM) and DigiFab(R) for hospital emergency medicine departments. About ALTANA Pharma AG ALTANA Pharma AG is the pharmaceutical division of ALTANA AG (NYSE:AAANYSE: FSE:NYSE:ALT), headquartered in Konstanz, Germany. The international pharmaceutical group employs more than 8,200 people in over 30 subsidiaries and is present in markets in Europe, North and South America, Asia, South Africa and Australia. In 2004, the company achieved sales of about 2.1 billion euro, up 7% from 2003. ALTANA Pharma concentrates on innovative pharmaceutical products in therapeutics, imaging (contrast media) and OTC medication. Therapeutics, the most important business area, is based on prescription drugs for gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Research focuses on gastroenterology, respiratory/inflammation and oncology. DATASOURCE: ALTANA Inc CONTACT: Don Miller of HLDBlankman Public Relations, +1-516-536-6811, or +1-212-896-3926, , for ALTANA Inc Web site: http://www.fougera.com/

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