CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Carthy, Vice President and
Chief Business Officer of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBST) will
present today at 3:00 PM before the BIO '98 Investor & Partnering Conference
in the Rendezvous Room at the New York Hilton and Towers Hotel.  He will
discuss Cubist's strategy for clinical development of its lead antiinfective
product, daptomycin, and the Company's proprietary VITA(TM) technology
(Validation In vivo of Targets for Antiinfectives) for target validation and
assay development.
    Daptomycin is a novel antibiotic with activity against all Gram-positive
bacteria including life-threatening infectious organisms such as methicillin
resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant enterococci
(VRE).  Cubist is developing daptomycin to treat hospitalized patients with
complicated skin and soft tissue infections, bacteremia and urinary tract
infections caused by drug resistant bacteria, including MRSA and VRE.
Daptomycin has demonstrated safety and efficacy in treating complicated skin
and soft tissue infections in a Phase II clinical trial.  Cubist plans to
initiate Phase III clinical trials of intravenous daptomycin for the treatment
of complicated skin and soft tissue infections in late 1998 or early 1999.
    Cubist has developed the VITA(TM) technology as a proteomics gateway to
the discovery of quality lead compounds for antiinfective preclinical
development. This technology enables the validation of antiinfective targets
during an established infection in a mouse model system and results in the
development of a high throughput assay for targets that have previously been
intractable to screening. Cubist has established scientific proof of principle
of VITA(TM) and is currently implementing the technology to validate and
screen targets from clinically relevant pathogens such as S. aureus.
    Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
research, development and commercialization of novel antimicrobial drugs to
combat emerging strains of drug resistant bacteria and fungi.  Cubist is
engaged in strategic partnerships with Merck & Co., Inc. and Bristol-Myers
Squibb for the discovery and development of novel antiinfective products, and
has formed biotechnology alliances with ArQule, Inc., Genzyme Corporation,
Neurogen Corporation, Novalon Pharmaceutical Corporation and Pharmacopeia,
Inc.  For additional information, visit the Company's Internet web site at
http://www.cubist.com.

    Cubist Safeharbor Statement
    Statements contained herein that are not historical facts, including the
Company's expectation that it will initiate Phase III clinical trials in late
1998 or early 1999, may be forward-looking statements that are subject to a
variety of risks and uncertainties.  There are a number of important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in
any forward-looking statements made by the Company.  These factors include,
but are not limited to: (i) the Company's ability to successfully complete
product research and development, including pre-clinical and clinical studies
and commercialization; (ii) the Company's ability to obtain required
governmental approvals; (iii) the Company's ability to attract and/or maintain
manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing partners; and (iv) the
Company's ability to develop and commercialize its products before its
competitors.

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