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Date Posted: 15:39:37 02/24/00 Thu
Author: warren
Subject: AMBI...news out today...

Thursday February 24, 11:45 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

AMBI Receives Patent for Drug Candidate to Treat
Serious Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infections

Potential Treatment for Diseases Such as Endocarditis to be Offered As Part of Company's
Infectious Disease Out-license Program

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BW HealthWire)--Feb. 24, 2000-- AMBI Inc. (Nasdaq: AMBI - news) announced that the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office has issued a patent (No. 6,028,051) to the company for the use of lysostaphin to treat the most virulent form of
staphylococcal infections that can cause life-threatening diseases such as endocarditis. AMBI already holds the U.S. patent on the
cloned lysostaphin gene as well as three other patents on lysostaphin technology.

Fredric D. Price, AMBI's president and chief executive officer, said, ``This is an important patent that should aid us in our effort to
get maximum value from our intellectual property portfolio as we continue our out-license program for our infectious disease
technology. Previously, we licensed nisin-based antibacterial technologies for the animal health and the food preservative
industries and have transformed AMBI into a company that develops and markets proprietary nutrition products.''

Lysostaphin is an enzyme that is a potential treatment for serious infections, including endocarditis, caused by drug-resistant S.
aureus. Staphylococcal infections occur in approximately 500,000 hospitalized patients each year in the U.S. The mortality rate
from infectious endocarditis caused by S. aureus is approximately 30 percent, and about 50 percent of the infected patients require
surgery to replace infected heart valves damaged by the bacteria.

Infective endocarditis is a general term for an inflammation of the heart lining and valves caused by various bacteria. The most
common risk factors are degenerative heart disease, valve deformities, and the presence of prosthetic heart valves or other types
of intravascular devices. Intravenous drug use is also a major risk factor, accounting for 25 percent of all cases.

AMBI previously demonstrated in a preclinical study in rabbits that lysostaphin was used successfully to treat endocarditis. The
experiment used a model that closely mimics endocarditis disease in humans and was performed under the supervision of Gordon
Archer, MD, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a member of
AMBI's Science Advisory Board.

The emergence of bacteria resistant to even the newest and most potent antibiotics, such as vancomycin, strongly suggests that
the so-called ``super bugs'' have the potential to win the infectious disease war. The recent discovery of vancomycin-resistant
strains of S. aureus underscores the need for novel agents for treatment of life-threatening staphylococcal infections. Because of
its rapid bactericidal action and unique mechanism of action, lysostaphin has the potential to augment vancomycin and beta-lactam
antibiotics as first line treatment for S. aureus infections.

AMBI develops and markets nutrition products.

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. The words ``believe,'' ``expect,'' ``anticipate'' and other similar
expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the
company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: the effect of
the expiration of patents; regulatory issues; uncertainty in the outcomes of clinical trials; changes in external market factors;
changes in the company's business or growth strategy or an inability to execute its strategy due to changes in its industry or the
economy generally; the emergence of new or growing competitors; various other competitive factors; and other risks and
uncertainties indicated from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its
Registration Statement on Form S-3, the Prospectus dated June 10, 1999, and its Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 1999.
Actual results could differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and
uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the results referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this press
release will in fact occur. Additionally, the company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking
statements, or any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements.

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