FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY SHOWS ABS DIAGNOSTIC FIF TEST RESULTS DEMONSTRATE A STRONGER ASSOCIATION WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK THAN TRADITIONAL TEST METHODS

Fibrinogen May Be The Missing Link Between Heart Disease Risk Factors

Copiague, New York, October 3, 2000 - American Biogenetic Sciences, Inc. (ABS) (NASDAQ: MABA) an article published in the journal Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found that the blood clotting protein fibrinogen seems to be a common pathway by which other risk factors cause heart disease. The study utilized American Biogenetic Sciences' patented, FDA approved, Functional Intact Fibrinogen test (FiF). A total of in 2,632 patients were evaluated in the Framingham Offspring Study - a continuation of the famed Framingham Heart Study begun more than fifty years ago.

This study, performed by Geoffrey H. Tofler MD and other scientists at Harvard Medical School and Boston University demonstrated that the FiF test may be more adaptable for measuring fibrinogen levels in large populations. Indeed, "we not only found fibrinogen levels to be higher in people with heart disease but it also seems to be a common pathway by which other risk factors cause heart disease" states Tofler. Moreover, Tofler also says that the data from this study "supports the argument that measuring fibrinogen provides useful information for assessing an individual patient's risk (of developing cardiovascular disease)." The ABS FiF test results demonstrated a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than did the Clauss method (the current standard in fibrinogen testing).

In the Clauss assay, fibrinogen is measured indirectly as a function of clotting time. In contrast the ABS FiF assay employs a fibrinogen specific monoclonal antibody, developed using ABS's patented antigen free mouse technology. The ABS FiF test measures the fibrinogen concentration directly. In comparing the test the authors stated the FiF test was not affected by anticoagulants or fibrin degradation products. When the tests were adjusted for covariants FiF remained significantly correlated to prevalent cardiovascular disease and the Clauss method did not.

"We have known that our FiF diagnostic was an elegant test for measuring fibrinogen," said John S. North, President and CEO of ABS. "This study shows how important measuring fibrinogen is for the millions of patients at risk for heart attacks. We believe that based on this study the American Heart Association will add testing of fibrinogen to its recommended screening to assess cardiovascular disease risk in the general population. ABS is now in the process of finding partners to adopt the FiF test to high throughput automated laboratory systems."

"We are both happy and excited with the release and publication of these independent data from such a prestigious clinical study," states Alfred J. Roach Chairman of ABS. Roach also added "as cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of mortality and morbidity in developed countries, the clinical implications of these findings are extremely important for our leading priority of saving lives with the subsequent overall improvement in healthcare."

American Biogenetic Sciences, Inc., based in Copiague, N.Y., researches and develops diagnostic tests for cardio-pulmonary conditions and infectious diseases, as well as new treatments for neurological disorders including epilepsy, migraine, mania, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are "forward looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and should be considered as subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For further details and a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the Companys' Securities and Exchange Commission filings including its annual report on Form 10-K.