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San Diego, CA - Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced recently that the company has received approval from the FDA for the production of AVINZA(R) (morphine sulfate extended-release capsules) at the Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) facility located in Winchester, Kentucky. Ligand and Cardinal Health also have a productive, long-standing relationship for the finished-product production of Targretin(R) soft-gel capsules. AVINZA(R) is currently being manufactured for Ligand by Elan Corporation plc in its Gainesville, Georgia facilities.

Under the terms of an agreement announced in 2004, manufacturing of AVINZA will commence for a five-year term. Ligand has an option to extend for an additional two-year period. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"The FDA approval of the Cardinal Health facility for the manufacture of AVINZA(R) represents an important step toward realizing its full potential by providing us with a second source of supply to meet future patient demand. This significantly increases AVINZA production capacity and diversifies our supply chain, which we believe is necessary to fully support the long-term success of AVINZA," said Taylor Crouch, senior vice president, operations and president, international. "We are especially pleased with the rapid progress Ligand and Cardinal Health have jointly made on an accelerated time line to accomplish the technology transfer and facility approval. Cardinal Health has been a good manufacturing partner of Ligand, and we are pleased that this relationship now includes AVINZA. We expect to begin purchases under this agreement in early 2006 in addition to our current supplier."

SOURCE: Ligand Pharmaceuticals