VERNON HILLS, Ill., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Immtech International Inc.
(Nasdaq: IMMT) announced today that a new patent has been issued for its drug
delivery method for small positively-charged molecules.  The patent
"Benzamidoxime Pro-drugs as AntiPneumocystic Agents" Patent No. 6,025,398, is
based on technology which allows the placement of a neutralizing charge mask
on a positively charged drug.  The masking of the charges allows small
positively charged molecules to easily move across the membranes of the
digestive system without destroying the drug, allowing oral administration.
The masking charges are removed in the body by naturally occurring enzymes
that release the active drug once it reaches the blood circulatory system.
Once it is in circulation, the active drug can readily target specific
infectious organisms.
    The patent demonstrates the power of Immtech's proprietary drug delivery
technology in an application for a new anti-fugal drug that Immtech is
developing for the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii (PCP).  PCP is one of the
most common fungal diseases found in immune suppressed patients, including
those with cancer, AIDS, and organ transplants.  The drug Pentamidine, which
is positively charged, is currently used to treat PCP and must be administered
intravenously or by inhalation therapy. Using Immtech 's drug delivery
technology to temporarily mask the positive charges, Pentamidine and other
positively-charged drugs can be taken orally for the first time, dramatically
increasing the usage and effectiveness of the drugs.
    This patent complements an earlier patent that was issued to Immtech in
December 1998 (Patent No. 5,843,980).  This drug delivery technology is an
important element of Immtech's platform technology strategy to develop orally
available drugs for infectious diseases and cancer.  The Company's drug
delivery technology also opens up the development of dicationic molecules and
other positively charged molecules as exciting new drugs for oral treatments
of infectious diseases and cancer.

    About Immtech
    Immtech International Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of fungal
and other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhea;
and it is also developing products to treat cancer and HIV.  The Company has
two independent programs for developing drugs.  The first is based on an anti-
microbial pharmaceutical platform from which many drugs can be commercialized.
Immtech's dication pharmaceuticals work by blocking life sustaining enzymes
from binding to the minor groove of the DNA, killing the infectious organisms
that cause fungal, parasitic, protozoan, bacterial and viral diseases.  The
second is based on biological proteins that work in conjunction with the
body's immune system.  These biological proteins are derivatives of C-Reactive
Protein ("CRP"), which occurs naturally in the body and which the Company
believes can be used to treat a variety of cancer.  The Company has three
products entering human clinical trials in 2000.

    "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995:
    This release contains forward-looking statements which express the beliefs
and expectations of management.  Such statements are based on current
expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties
that could cause the Company's future results, performance or achievements to
differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Important factors that could
cause or contribute to such differences include the impact of pharmaceutical
industry regulation, the difficulty of predicting FDA and other regulatory
authority approvals, the regulatory environment and changes in the health
policies of various countries, acceptance and demand for new pharmaceutical
products and new therapies, the impact of competitive products and pricing,
the availability and pricing of ingredients used in the manufacture of
pharmaceutical products, uncertainties regarding market acceptance of
innovative products newly launched, currently being sold or in development,
the impact of restructuring of clients, reliance on strategic alliances,
fluctuations in currency, exchange and interest rates, operating results and
other factors that are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission.  The forward-looking statements within
this release, any oral statements made by representatives of the Company, and
Forms 10-Q and 10-K are identified by words such as "believes", "anticipates",
"expects", "intends", "may" and other similar expressions.  However, these
words are not exclusive means of identifying such statements.  In addition,
any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other
characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking
statements.  The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly release the
results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made
to reflect events or circumstances occurring subsequent to this news release
or otherwise to revise or update any oral or written forward-looking statement
that may be made from time to time on behalf of the Company.  Readers are
urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by the
Company in its filings with the SEC, including its Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 1999 and its Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended March 31, 1999, that attempt to advise interested parties
of certain risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect the
Company's business.

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