SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLN) today announced that it has entered into a three year agreement with Biocompatibles International plc. (LSE: BII) granting SciClone exclusive rights to market Biocompatibles' DC BeadTM chemotherapy releasing device within China, particularly for the minimally invasive treatment of malignant hypervascular tumors such as primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer in China accounting for over 300,000 deaths each year. The DC Bead is designed to be used in trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedures to embolize a tumor and deliver the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin, to the tumor site in a targeted and consistent controlled-release manner. Potential advantages include increasing the exposure of the tumor to the drug and reducing drug-related toxicity by minimizing systemic exposure.

Under this agreement, Biocompatibles will manufacture the DC Bead in the U.K. and supply the product to SciClone to market in China. The agreement can be renewed three years post regulatory approval in China. A regulatory submission for approval in China is planned during 2006. The DC Bead is approved in Europe for use in the treatment of malignant hypervascularized tumors.

"The DC Bead is a natural fit for us given our sales and marketing operation's experience in the area of liver disease in China," commented Friedhelm Blobel, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "SciClone has successfully marketed ZADAXIN(R) to a targeted network of physicians and pharmacies by focusing on the 500 leading hospitals in the major metropolitan areas of China. SciClone's network of physicians includes medical thought-leaders in the fields of liver disease, cancer and intensive care and we believe that they will be keenly interested in the potential therapeutic advantages of the DC Bead."

"We are delighted with our partnership with SciClone who have the resources and credibility to tackle this important opportunity," commented Crispin Simon, Chief Executive of Biocompatibles. "We are targeting China to be a significant contributor of our sales once the DC Bead is approved. This is based on the expected growth of China's market for healthcare products in general and on the prevalence of HCC in particular."

About the DC Bead

The DC Bead is a drug delivery embolization system comprised of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel microspheres that are loaded by the hospital pharmacy with the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin. The DC Bead combines the embolization and drug delivery to the tumor in one step. The DC Bead is administered by a catheter into the blood vessels feeding the tumor. The DC Bead is intended to block blood flow from the vessels to the tumor while releasing doxorubicin directly into the tumor site over a period of ten to fourteen days. This controlled delivery concentrates the chemotherapeutic effect of the drug directly on the tumor and minimizes systemic toxicity throughout the rest of the body.