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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                           Contact: Shawn K. Singh, J.D.
                                                    Chief Administrative Officer
                                                    650/358-1451


              SCICLONE PHARMACEUTICALS COMPLETES PRIVATE PLACEMENT
          -- STRATEGIC FINANCING AIMED AT ACHIEVING 1999 MILESTONES --

San Mateo, CA, July 6, 1999 - SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SCLN) announced
it has completed a private placement valued at just over $2 million with
institutions and accredited individual investors. The offering consisted of
units including approximately 1.37 million shares of common stock, each
accompanied by a warrant to purchase one share of common stock. Each unit was
priced at $1.46, a 20% premium over the Company's stock price on the closing
date. The Company limited the size of the offering to the cash required to fund
operations and the achievement of corporate milestones at least through the end
of 1999.

"This financing allows us to continue the growth that should position SciClone
to operate profitably by the end of next year," said Donald R. Sellers,
SciClone's President and Chief Executive Officer. "While there was considerable
institutional interest in a larger financing, we decided to minimize dilution
at today's undervalued share prices and to focus on completing the near-term
milestones that should drive our valuation. We believe the investment interest
of these institutions will be even stronger as we achieve our goals during the
remainder of the year and that future financing requirements, if any, will be
at a more favorable cost of capital to the Company and our shareholders."

Sellers said corporate milestones targeted for 1999 include product marketing
approvals in significant new overseas hepatitis markets, results from Phase 2
trials with the Company's drug candidate for cystic fibrosis, CPX, and
additional corporate collaborations aimed at the continued development and
expansion of SciClone's products and markets. He added that the Company's cash
burn rate is steadily declining, driven by increasing ZADAXIN(R) product sales
that continue to grow at a rate which would support profitable operations by
the end of 2000. With the current private placement, an equity investment by
Italy's Sigma-Tau as part of a product marketing collaboration, and a clinical
development grant by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Sciclone has raised more
than $3.5 million during the past three months.






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SCICLONE PHARMACEUTICALS COMPLETES PRIVATE PLACEMENT
July 6, 1999
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SciClone Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company that acquires,
develops and commercializes specialist-oriented drugs for treating chronic and
life-threatening diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis,
cancer and immune system disorders. Press releases and corporate information
from SciClone Pharmaceuticals are available on the Internet at www.sciclone.com
or by calling the Company's Investor Relations Department at 800/724-2566.
SciClone's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq National Market(R) under the
symbol SCLN.

The information in this press release includes certain forward-looking
statements concerning the Company's current expectations regarding future
events, including the Company's expectations regarding funding of operations,
financing and corporate partnering activities, its ability to continue growth
in ZADAXIN sales and to operate profitably by the end of the fourth quarter of
the year 2000. Actual events could differ materially from those projected
herein. Investors should consult the Company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, particularly the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 1998, for additional information on risks and
uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements.