030705 Beef Recall Highlights Need for E. Coli Treatment

Maywood, NJ - The recent recall of approximately 739,000 pounds of frozen beef, mostly vacuum packaged steaks, dramatically demonstrates the need for an effective treatment of contamination of food and drink products by potentially deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria according to Dr. Michael Munzar, Medical Director of Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation. The recall by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service was unusual because it involved steaks and not ground beef. The contamination was believed to have been caused by the injecting of tenderizers and flavor-enhancers.

Nymox has under development NXC-4720, a novel antibacterial product for E. coli O157:H7 meat contamination. The Company recently announced that its NXC-4720 product has continued to make its milestones in product development. Recent studies have shown that treatment with NXC-4720 cleared infected beef of E. coli O157 contamination and helped prevent further E. coli contamination. The Company will be extending its field trials.

Food safety is a priority item for the Bush administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA has recently announced a number of initiatives directed at the problem of E. coli O157 contamination of meat in particular. In 2002 alone, over 23 million pounds of meat was recalled in the U.S. because of possible E. coli contamination, affecting all sectors of the meat industry from large meat processors to local supermarkets and many consumers. On average, Americans consume over 65 pounds of beef per person per year.

"The problems posed by E. coli O157 contamination of our food and water supplies has long been recognized by public health officials and the food industry. What is missing are practical effective solutions," said Dr. Munzar. "Nymox's NXC-4720 has great potential as a viable commercial solution."

E. coli O157 bacterial contamination is a major public health problem throughout the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States alone, 73,000 human cases occur every year as a result of E. coli O157 contamination of food and drink products and of water supplies. This type of E. coli infection can cause severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps and can lead to kidney failure, particularly in young children and in the elderly, with often serious long term and sometimes fatal results. One USDA study estimated the direct and indirect costs of foodborne E. coli O157 infections at over $650 million per year.

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