FOOTBALL LEGEND JOHN ELWAY LAUNCHES THE ROAD TO RELIEF, A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SERIOUSNESS OF PERSISTENT HEARTBURN AND MOTIVATE SUFFERERS TO TALK TO THEIR DOCTOR

HOUSTON, January 30, 2004 - Football legend John Elway has taken many journeys in his life - from his record-setting collegiate and professional seasons to winning the "big game" and achieving lasting career recognition. During much of that time, Elway was also on a different type of journey - a heartburn journey - that he reveals today at the launch of a new national education campaign, the Road to Relief. His goal for the campaign is to educate frequent heartburn sufferers about the potential seriousness of the condition and motivate them to hopefully shorten their own road to relief by talking to a doctor about a proper diagnosis and available treatment options.

Elway's heartburn journey started 10 years ago when he began experiencing frequent and persistent heartburn, a painful burning sensation in the chest that sometimes kept him up at night. Although Elway tried coping by changing his diet and taking over-the-counter medications intermittently, his condition worsened with time. "I didn't realize these symptoms could be a sign of something more serious," he says. Frequent and persistent heartburn two or more days per week may be a sign of acid reflux disease, a potentially serious condition in which stomach contents, including acid, repeatedly flow backward into the esophagus.

Elway says he finally realized he had to do something more when he began having difficulty swallowing. He spoke to his doctor, who diagnosed him with acid reflux disease. Now, with his condition diagnosed and treated, Elway will be traveling the country encouraging other sufferers to see a physician for a proper diagnosis and to discuss a treatment plan, in the hope he can help others shorten their own road to relief

"After years of suffering, I finally teamed up with my doctor to find an effective treatment plan and am now able to manage my acid reflux disease," says Elway. "I could have talked to my doctor and started finding a solution much earlier. I'm working to motivate other people to talk to their doctor sooner than I did, in the hope that they won't have to deal with heartburn pain day after day, year after year, the way I did."

The Road to Relief is sponsored by TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. and PREVACID® (lansoprazole). PREVACID is the nation's number one prescribed* proton pump inhibitor (PPI). PREVACID helps prevent the acid that causes heartburn pain and is commonly used to treat acid reflux disease. For John, PREVACID, taken once a day, along with diet and lifestyle changes, helped alleviate symptoms. Individual results may vary.

Millions of Americans experience heartburn, and more than an estimated 15 million Americans suffer from heartburn on a daily basis. People who experience heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, may have acid reflux disease. Repeated exposure to stomach acids can irritate and inflame the lining of the esophagus, often causing heartburn pain or discomfort. Besides heartburn, which is the most common symptom of acid reflux disease, other symptoms may include regurgitation, sour taste in the mouth, difficulty swallowing and persistent coughing or hoarseness.

"Patients should talk to their health care professional about how they're feeling. If they are experiencing heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, it could be acid reflux disease," said William Chey, M.D., associate professor of medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center. "Acid reflux disease can be a serious condition, but effective treatments are available."

Through the Road to Relief program, the makers of PREVACID are providing a free information kit, available by visiting www.RoadtoRelief.com or by calling 1-866-RD2-RELIEF. This educational kit provides information about acid reflux disease, diet and lifestyle changes, as well as treatment options.

"I hope that frequent heartburn sufferers can learn from my experience and can shorten their own road to relief," said Elway.

About PREVACID® (lansoprazole)

PREVACID is used to treat various acid-related disorders, including heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux disease, as well as for the treatment and maintenance of erosive esophagitis. PREVACID is the only PPI indicated for the risk reduction of the recurrence and healing of gastric ulcers associated with chronic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Symptomatic response to therapy does not preclude the presence of serious stomach problems. PREVACID is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to any component of the formulation. The most frequently reported adverse events include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. For further information on PREVACID, please see the complete prescribing information and visit www.prevacid.com or call 1-866-732-7354.

About TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., the company that brings you PREVACID

TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., located in Lake Forest, Ill., is a joint venture between Abbott Laboratories, headquartered in Abbott Park, Ill., and Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., of Osaka, Japan. TAP also markets Lupron Depot® (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension). For more information about TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., and its products, visit the company's Web site at www.tap.com.

* IMS HEALTH, National Prescription Audit Plus 7 Weekly TM, December 2003.