SciClone Receives ZADAXIN(R) Marketing Approvals in Mexico & Cambodia Eight Approvals Now Received During 1998; Mexico is a Key Market=

San Mateo, Calif. (ots-PRNewswire) - SciClone Pharmaceuticals
(Nasdaq: SCLN) today reported that ZADAXIN thymosin alpha 1, the
Company's lead product, has been approved in Mexico. The approval is
for use of ZADAXIN as an influenza vaccine adjuvant and is expected
to be expanded to include use for the treatment of hepatitis B and
hepatitis C. Mexico is one of six additional key countries from which
SciClone has been awaiting ZADAXIN marketing approval. The Company
also reported that it recently received ZADAXIN marketing approval
for the treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in Cambodia.

"The Mexican approval is a key to profitability," said Donald
Sellers, SciClone's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We
believe the major use of ZADAXIN in Mexico will be for the treatment
of hepatitis C, but our first job was to get the drug approved and
into physicians' hands. Other keys to our near-term profitability
are pending ZADAXIN marketing applications in Brazil, Egypt, India,
Korea, Taiwan and Turkey."

ZADAXIN, an immune system enhancer, now is approved for the
treatment of hepatitis B in Cambodia, People's Republic of China,
Kuwait, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Peru, the Philippines and
Singapore. It is approved for hepatitis C in Cambodia and the
Philippines and as an influenza vaccine adjuvant in Argentina, Italy
and Mexico. ZADAXIN hepatitis B marketing applications are pending in
21 additional countries. In Japan, Phase 3 studies in hepatitis B and
Phase 2 studies in hepatitis C have been initiated by Schering-Plough
KK, SciClone's exclusive partner. ZADAXIN has been used in
combination with multiple brands of alpha interferon for the
treatment of hepatitis C. The combination of ZADAXIN plus interferon
has demonstrated improved efficacy over interferon alone without
increasing interferon's toxicity. In addition, ZADAXIN has been
safely combined and shown utility with both famciclovir and
lamivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are highly infectious liver diseases
that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. Worldwide, there
are an estimated 350 million carriers of hepatitis B and an estimated
170 million carriers of hepatitis C. The only established first line
therapy for hepatitis B other than ZADAXIN is alpha interferon. The
estimated worldwide sales of the various alpha interferon brands are
over $1 billion. ZADAXIN, with no serious side effects seen in more
than 2,000 clinical trial patients, is prescribed for hepatitis B as
a safer single-agent therapy than the alpha interferons. ZADAXIN plus
alpha interferon is used as a safer combination therapy for hepatitis
C than alpha interferon plus other drugs.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical
company that acquires, develops and commercializes
specialist-oriented drugs for treating chronic and life-threatening
diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis, cancer
and immune system disorders. Press releases and corporate information
from SciClone Pharmaceuticals are available on the Internet at
www.sciclone.com or by calling the Company's Investor Relations
Department at 800-724-2566. SciClone's common stock is listed on the
Nasdaq National Market under the symbol SCLN.

The statements made in this press release contain certain forward
looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties,
including statements regarding estimated future revenues. Actual
events or results may materially differ from the Company's
expectations. The Company's success in expanding ZADAXIN marketing
approvals and increasing sales of ZADAXIN in foreign markets, future
actions by the Food and Drug Administration or equivalent regulatory
authorities in foreign countries, results of pending or future
clinical trials, as well as the risk factors listed from time to time
in the Company's SEC reports, including but not limited to its Annual
Report on Form 10-K, may affect the actual results achieved by the
Company.

ots Original Text Service: SciClone Pharmaceuticals
Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de

Contact:

Shawn K. Singh
Senior Vice President of SciClone
(USA) 650-358-1451

Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/775865.html or
Fax: (USA) 800-758-5804, ext. 775865

Web site: http://www.sciclone.com

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