Exhibit 99



                                                        Celgene Corporation
                                                        7 Powder Horn Drive
[CELGENE LOGO]                                          Warren, New Jersey 07059
                                                        Tel 732-271-1001
                                                        Fax 732-271-4184


For Immediate Release



                                         
Contact:     Robert Butler                     Douglas MacMillan
             Senior Vice President and CFO     Vice President and CFO
             CELGENE CORPORATION               CAMBREX
             732-271-4102                      201-804-3025


          CELGENE CORPORATION TO SELL CHIRAL INTERMEDIATES BUSINESS TO
                              CAMBREX CORPORATION


WARREN, NJ (November 18, 1997)--Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) and Cambrex
Corporation (AMEX: CBM) today announced that they have signed a letter of
intent for Cambrex to acquire Celgene's chiral intermediate business for
approximately $15 million. Included in the transaction will be the rights to
Celgene's enzymatic technology for the production of chirally pure products for
the pharmaceutical industry, including the current pipeline of third party
products and the equipment and personnel associated with the business. The
proposed transaction does not include the sale of any property or technology
related to Celgene's proprietary chiral pharmaceutical products including
chirally pure version of RITALIN[RegTM] and mexiletine. In addition, the
transaction does not include the Celgro[TM] agrochemical business.


Proposed terms provide for a payment of $7.5 million upon the closing of the
transaction, plus future royalties of up to a present value of $7.5 million,
with certain minimum royalty payments in the third through sixth year following
the closing of the transaction. The closing of the transaction is subject to
the execution of definitive documentation, which would require approval by
Celgene's and Cambrex's Board of Directors. There can be no assurance that a
transaction will be consummated in accordance with the terms of the letter of
intent, or at all.


John W. Jackson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Celgene Corporation,
said, "the proposed transaction will enable Celgene to focus additional
financial and managerial resources on the continued development of our
pharmaceutical pipeline. Cambrex, with its strong manufacturing capacity, is in
an excellent position to drive our chiral intermediate technology to realize
its long-term sales potential."


Jim Mack, Chief Executive Officer of Cambrex Corporation, said, "the chiral
technology included in this transaction is a perfect bridge between Cambrex's
subsidiaries' supplying the pharmaceutical industry and Bio Whittaker, our
recently acquired cell culture business."


Since 1990, Celgene's revenues have been generated primarily through sales of
chirally pure intermediates to pharmaceutical companies for use in new drug
development. Celgene believes that, even in the absence of a sale of the
business, chiral intermediates will account for a less significant portion of
its overall revenues in the future as Celgene continues to develop and, subject
to the receipt of regulatory approvals, begins to generate revenues from
THALOMID[TM], its formulation of thalidomide, and from its pipeline of
immunotherapeutic, chirally pure pharmaceutical and agrochemical products.
Celgene's chiral intermediate business produced a net loss for the nine months
ended September 30, 1997 and for the year ended December 31, 1996. If the
transaction is consummated in accordance with the proposed terms, Celgene
expects to record an undetermined gain on the transaction.


Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Warren, NJ, is engaged in the development
of human pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.


Cambrex Corporation, headquartered in East Rutherford, NJ, manufactures
specialty and fine chemicals.


This release contains certain forward-looking statements which involve known
and unknown risks, delays, uncertainties and other factors which may cause
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the
results, performance or other expectations implied by these forward-looking
statements. These factors include the ability of the parties to negotiate
definitive documentation, the determination of accounting treatment, and the
ability of Celgene to commercialize and achieve market acceptance of THALOMID
and its chirally pure pharmaceutical and agrochemical products.

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