SuperGen Changes Name to Astex Pharmaceuticals

SuperGen, Inc. has announced that it has officially begun operating under the name Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Concurrent with this new name, and effective at the start of trading, September 12, 2011, the ticker symbol for the Company’s common stock listed on NASDAQ has changed from "SUPG" to "ASTX."

Astex Pharmaceuticals also announced the launch of its new website, www.astx.com. The website features the newly launched corporate branding, and contains information on the company’s vision, pipeline and strategic partnerships.

“We are extremely pleased to embark on a new era in our company’s history,” said James S.J. Manuso, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Manuso continued, “We now have the resources and capabilities in place to establish Astex Pharmaceuticals as a financially strong global leader with the aim of delivering novel cancer therapeutics targeting critical medical needs.”

Headquartered in Dublin, California, Astex Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of a new generation of small molecule drugs, with a focus on cancer.

With unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and current and non-current marketable securities of nearly $129 million as of June 30, 2011, the company plans to leverage its royalty revenue stream from Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection, marketed in North America by Eisai and in the rest of the world by Cilag GmbH International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

The Company's clinical pipeline includes eight drugs in development, four of which are currently in or entering into Phase II clinical trials, and four of which are currently partnered or optioned to large pharmaceutical companies.

Astex Pharmaceuticals begins operations with:
• Top-tier partnerships with GlaxoSmithKline, Eisai, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and AstraZeneca
• Milestone and potential royalty revenue based on existing and completed collaborations
• An industry leading drug discovery platform to sustain future value creation
• Integrated operations based in two of the world's leading biotech clusters, in the United States and the United Kingdom.