WARMINSTER, PA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/02/07 -- OraPharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of periodontal disease, including ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) Microspheres, 1 mg, recently launched the third generation of its popular web site, www.ARESTIN.com.

The web site, originally launched in 2002, quickly became a primary online destination for dentists, hygienists, and patients seeking 24/7 access to the latest information on the treatment of periodontal disease. The new ARESTIN.com site provides patients and practitioners with easy access to relevant topics, such as:

--  Periodontal disease risk factors
--  Current clinical research involving ARESTIN® plus SRP compared to
    SRP alone
--  Tools and resources to help understand and communicate the need for
    consistent diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of periodontal disease,
    including ARESTIN® plus SRP
    

According to John Lenart, product director for OraPharma Inc.'s ARESTIN®, "The redesigned ARESTIN.com has a much cleaner layout and easier navigation, including a robust array of educational, clinical, financial, and reimbursement tools that many dental professionals have told us are 'must-haves' to be a best-in-class oral health web site. This includes recent clinical studies, news items regarding periodontal disease, interactive educational programming, and an updated news feed highlighting periodontal disease in the lay press. The goal of the site is to enable dental professionals to quickly, conveniently, and easily learn how to successfully implement a periodontal treatment program in their offices. As well, patients are educated about the risks and symptoms of periodontal disease, along with the importance of treatment with ARESTIN® plus SRP."

ARESTIN.com was created in conjunction with dental health professionals and patients. This was accomplished by working closely with many online dental communities, as well as a 3-month long survey for dental professionals and patients that helped OraPharma determine what each group truly wanted to know and how they would like periodontal disease and ARESTIN® information presented.

"Without asking our customers and their patients about how to best serve them in the online arena," stated Lenart, "we would have not been true to our mission of exceeding customers' and patients' expectations of providing superior solutions and products designed to increase the quality of patient care and practice productivity. This customer feedback drove our quest for this site to go from 'good enough' to 'great.'"

The site is designed to be equally informative and useful for dental professionals and consumers, with two separate entry and navigation tracks.

For Dental Professionals:

ARESTIN.com provides in-depth clinical information on ARESTIN®, OraPharma's locally administered antibiotic indicated as an adjunct to scaling and root planing for the treatment of adult periodontal disease. With the site's new and improved navigation capabilities, viewers will find useful resources to enhance the dental professional's knowledge regarding ARESTIN® and periodontal disease treatment. Additionally, there will be expanded functionality to improve the ARESTIN.com user experience, including:

--  Personalized myARESTIN® homepage designed exclusively for dental
    professionals to customize their needs
--  Streaming video demonstration instructions
--  Features and benefits of Microsphere technology
--  In-depth clinical and safety profiles
--  Secure online ordering available only to dental professionals
--  Downloadable and printable patient education resources
--  Updates on how to maximize available dental reimbursement for
    periodontal disease treatment
--  Complete prescribing information
--  Downloadable web banners
    

For Consumers:

With many consumers conducting their health-related research online, OraPharma designed the site to provide easy access to periodontal disease risk factors and treatment information. Consumer-friendly topics currently posted include the following:

--  What is periodontal disease?
--  What are the symptoms?
--  Periodontal maintenance
--  About ARESTIN®
--  Frequently asked questions
    

In addition, the patient section of ARESTIN.com includes a wealth of educational tools, such as:

--  An oral health self-evaluation test
--  A glossary of oral health terms
--  Important links and other online resources
    

"Our intent is to make it easy for dental professionals and consumers alike to find the latest information on the risks of periodontal disease, the need for accurate diagnosis and provide comprehensive treatment with ARESTIN® plus SRP," states Lenart.(1)

About ARESTIN®

ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) Microspheres, 1 mg, is indicated as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) procedures for reduction of pocket depth in patients with adult periodontitis. ARESTIN® may be used as part of a periodontal maintenance program which includes good oral hygiene, and scaling and root planing.

ARESTIN® contains minocycline, a tetracycline derivative, and therefore should not be used in children and in pregnant or nursing women. The use of drugs of the tetracycline class during tooth development may cause permanent discoloration of the teeth.

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were headache (9.0%), infection (7.6%), flu syndrome (5.0%), and pain (4.3%). These occurred at a similar rate to SRP and SRP + placebo.

About OraPharma, Inc.

OraPharma, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes therapeutics for the treatment of periodontal disease at various phases of progression. ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) Microspheres, 1 mg, is indicated as an adjunct to scaling and root planing procedures for reduction of pocket depth in patients with adult periodontitis. OSSIX® PLUS (resorbable collagen membrane) is used in guided bone regeneration (GBR) and guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedures. IMPEDE(TM) Barrier Rinse is an oral rinse indicated for use as an aid in the treatment of gingivitis by inhibiting bacterial adhesion to tooth surfaces and serves as an adjunct to normal mechanical oral hygiene where it has proved inadequate. For more information about OraPharma and its products, visit www.orapharma.com.

REFERENCE:

(1) Goodson JM. Antimicrobial Efficacy of Arestin in Periodontitis Therapy. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research; March 8-11, 2006; Orlando, FL.

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Contact:
OraPharma
www.ARESTIN.com
Michael Ventriello
Email Contact