EATONTOWN, N.J., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation
(Nasdaq: RPCX) announced today that it has agreed in principle to license from
Ely Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) a developmental compound for Functional
Bowel Disorders (FBD), a potentially large and generally unsatisfied
gastrointestinal market.  The compound, designated as LY315535, is being
licensed to Roberts for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.  This agreement
represents an expansion of previously announced licensing arrangements between
the two companies.
    FBD is primarily characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, and
constipation with other patient complaints including bloating and cramping.
FBD may afflict 15%-20% of the world population with the corresponding annual
marketplace estimated at nearly a billion days of therapy.  Current therapies,
ranging from dietary changes to over-the-counter medicines and prescription
antispasmodics, provide limited or erratic treatment response.  The LY315535
compound is a dipharmacophore, acting as both a muscarinic receptor antagonist
and as a serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist with a high degree of selectivity
for the 5-HT1A receptor subtype.  As a result of these two different, but
synergistic modes of action on the gastrointestinal tract, this compound
offers the potential to treat a wide spectrum of FBD symptoms.
    Previously, Roberts announced it had licensed from Lilly two other
compounds for FBD.  Those compounds included, an opioid mu receptor antagonist
and a 5-HT4 receptor antagonist. With the addition of  LY315535, Roberts
proprietary pipeline now includes broad opportunities to develop potentially
novel breakthrough drugs for FBD.
    Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation is an international pharmaceutical
company focusing on the acquisition and development of late-stage drugs.
Roberts currently markets its products in seven countries and has operating
subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
    This and past news releases by Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation are
available through PR Newswire's Company News On-Call fax service at
1-800-758-5804, extension 760975 and on the Internet at
http//www.prnewswire.com.
    This release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect
management's current views of future events and operations.  These forward-
looking statements are based on assumptions and external factors, including
assumptions relating to regulatory action and competing products.  Any changes
in such assumptions or external factors could produce significantly different
results.

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