American Stock Exchange to Trade Options on Four Securities

American Stock Exchange to Trade Options on Four Securities NEW YORK, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) will launch trading in options on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 on the following Nasdaq Stock Market and New York Stock Exchange listed stocks of: * Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Option Symbol: QUF/Stock Symbol: IDEV) * Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, American Depositary Shares (Symbol: NTT) * Ventana Medical Systems Inc. (Option Symbol: UMI /Stock Symbol: VMSI) * Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Option Symbol: UMO /Stock Symbol: MICU) Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. options will open with strike prices of 5 - 7 1/2 - 10 and position limits of 3,150,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and December. The specialist will be Wolverine Trading L.P. Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of products and product candidates, including multiple compounds in late-stage clinical development. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, American Depositary Shares options will open with strike prices of 22 1/2 - 25 - 30 and position limits of 2,250,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and December. The specialist will be Taanstaafl Research & Trading, LLC. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation provides a variety of telecommunication services, including telephone, telegraph, leased circuits, data communication, terminal equipment sales and related services. Ventana Medical Systems Inc. options will open with strike prices of 45 - 50 - 55 and position limits of 1,350,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and December. The specialist will be LaBranche Structured Products, LLC. Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets instrument reagent systems that automate tissue and slide staining in histology laboratories worldwide. Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. options will open with strike prices of 20 - 22 1/2 - 25 and position limits of 3,150,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and December. The specialist will be Taanstaafl Research & Trading, LLC. Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. is an international biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes vital medicine for seriously ill patients. The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) is the only primary exchange that offers trading across a full range of equities, options and exchange traded funds (ETFs), including structured products and HOLDRS(SM). In addition to its role as a national equities market, the Amex is the pioneer of the ETF, responsible for bringing the first domestic product to market in 1993. Leading the industry in ETF listings, the Amex lists 138 ETFs to date. The Amex is also one of the largest options exchanges in the U.S., trading options on broad-based and sector indexes as well as domestic and foreign stocks. DATASOURCE: American Stock Exchange CONTACT: Media, Lynn Duffy of American Stock Exchange, +1-212-306-1654, or Web site: http://www.amex.com/