GAAP figures for the quarter include a non refundable upfront fee to Osiris Therapeutics Inc. for a late-stage product candidate, amortization and stock compensation expenses, and a charge to write off overhead and material associated with incomplete process validation runs at the company's Belgium manufacturing facility.

"We had an excellent year last year and exceeded our earnings expectations despite the economic environment and the challenges we faced with Myozyme," said Henri A. Termeer, Genzyme chairman and chief executive officer. "We delivered on our financial objectives but did not ignore our future. We continued to expand and invest in our pipeline and now have seven exciting late-stage programs with the potential to sustain our growth over the long term. Genzyme is stronger today than it was a year ago, and we feel confident about our future."

As previously announced, fourth-quarter revenue rose 13 percent to $1.17 billion, reflecting an approximate $39 million negative impact of foreign exchange, compared with $1.04 billion in the same period in 2007.

Individual product sales for the fourth quarter and the year, along with expectations for the longer-term growth of Genzyme's business segments, were detailed in a January 13, 2009, press release coinciding with the company's presentation at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference.

2008 Results
Total revenue in 2008 increased 21 percent to $4.6 billion from $3.8 billion in 2007. GAAP net income was $421.1 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, compared with $480.2 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, in 2007. Non-GAAP net income increased 18 percent to $1.1 billion, compared with $939.9 million in 2007. Non-GAAP earnings increased 15 percent to $4.00 per diluted share from $3.47 in 2007.

Genzyme generated approximately $1.5 billion in cash predominantly from operations in 2008 and utilized this cash flow to substantially eliminate all debt, invest in its global infrastructure, repurchase shares, and complete strategic transactions that significantly strengthened its late-stage pipeline.

About Genzyme
One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with serious diseases. Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with more than 11,000 employees in locations spanning the globe and 2008 revenues of $4.6 billion. In 2007, Genzyme was chosen to receive the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States for technological innovation.

With many established products and services helping patients in approximately 100 countries, Genzyme is a leader in the effort to develop and apply the most advanced technologies in the life sciences. The company's products and services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease, orthopaedics, cancer, transplant and immune disease, and diagnostic testing. Genzyme's commitment to innovation continues today with a substantial development program focused on these fields, as well as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and other areas of unmet medical need.

Genzyme®, Myozyme®, Fabrazyme®, Cerezyme®, Renagel®, Renvela®, Synvisc®, and Clolar® are registered trademarks and Mozobil™, Synvisc-One™ and Lumizyme™ are trademarks of Genzyme Corporation or its subsidiaries. Prochymal™ is a trademark of Osiris Therapeutics Inc. All rights reserved.

Genzyme's press releases and other company information are available at www.genzyme.com.