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Access Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on ProLindac(TM) Phase 2 Ovarian Cancer Trial and Clinical Development Plan

Posted on: Monday, 1 June 2009, 08:00 CDT

ProLindac Showing High DACH Platinum Activity; Drug Well Tolerated With No Signs of Acute Neurotoxicity

DALLAS, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (http://www.accesspharma.com) (OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP), provided an update today on the progress in the Company's clinical development plan for ProLindac, a novel DACH platinum drug that has shown to be active in many solid tumor types in human clinical studies. Access recently announced positive safety and efficacy results from its Phase 2 monotherapy clinical study of ProLindac(TM) in late-stage, heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients. In this study, 66% of patients who received the highest dose achieved clinically meaningful disease stabilization according to RECIST criteria. No patient in any dose group exhibited any signs of acute neurotoxicity, which is a major adverse side-effect of the approved DACH platinum, Eloxatin, and ProLindac was well tolerated overall. The Company has scaled up manufacturing in order to begin the next phase of clinical development. Access plans to conduct several combination trials in different solid tumor types both as Company-sponsored trials and in conjunction with its two previously announced co-development partners.

"Access is extremely pleased with the clinical results to date, which we believe reflect that we have a significant DACH platinum drug candidate with a safety profile superior to commercially available platinum therapies," stated Jeffrey Davis, President & CEO. "Our partners in the Far East, both Aosaikang Medicinal Group (ASK) in Nanjing, China and JCOM, in Seoul, Korea, are making great progress on manufacturing scale-up and in putting the regulatory process in place, and we are working with them diligently on the design and future management of their clinical trials. Access is in discussion with a number of potential North American and European partners for co-development of ProLindac, and to assist in marketing, when approved."

"We are very pleased with the ProLindac trial results to date which has been in over 50 patients in two trials; we saw significant DACH platinum activity and efficacy in patients at the highest dose levels which is very encouraging given that this study involved monotherapy in a heavily pretreated patient population that typically only respond to an aggressive drug combination," commented Dr. David Nowotnik, Access' Senior Vice President R&D.

The recent Phase 2 study explored three different dose levels and two dosing regimens of ProLindac as a monotherapy treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, to provide data on the monotherapy anticancer activity and safety of ProLindac. Of patients eligible for evaluation according to standard RECIST criteria, clinically-meaningful disease stabilization was achieved in 42% of all patients, and 66% of all patients in the higher dose groups. Sustained and significant reductions in Ca-125, the established specific serum marker for ovarian cancer, were also observed in several patients.

Access is currently in discussion with potential partners for development and commercialization of ProLindac in additional territories.

About ProLindac(TM):

ProLindac is a novel DACH platinum prodrug which has been shown to be active in a wide variety of solid tumors in both preclinical models and in human trials. Access believes that ProLindac's unique molecular design potentially could eliminate some of the toxic side effects seen in the currently marketed DACH platinum, Eloxatin, which has sales in excess of $2 billion. Access has previously announced that it has licensed ProLindac to Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("ASK") for the Greater China Region and to JCOM, Ltd for South Korea. Under these agreements both of these partners will be conducting Phase 2 combination studies with ProLindac in specific tumor types at their expense based on these results.

About Access:

Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes propriety products for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. Access' products include ProLindac(TM), currently in Phase 2 clinical testing of patients with ovarian cancer, and MuGard(TM) for the management of patients with mucositis. The company also has other advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin(TM)-mediated targeted delivery and oral drug delivery, its proprietary nanopolymer delivery technology based on the natural vitamin B12 uptake mechanism; and Angiolix(R), a humanized monoclonal antibody which acts as an anti-angiogenesis factor and is targeted to breast cancer. Thiarabine is a new generation nucleoside analog which has demonstrated both pre-clinical and clinical activity in certain cancers. For additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our website at www.accesspharma.com.

This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include those relating to: clinical trial plans and timelines and clinical results for ProLindac and product candidates acquired in the MacroChem transaction, our ability to execute licensing agreements in the future, Access' plans to continue and initiate clinical trials, the value of its products in the market, its ability to achieve clinical and commercial success and its ability to successfully develop marketed products. These statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not limited Access' need to obtain additional financing in order to continue the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in Access' Annual Reports on Form 10-K and other reports filed by Access with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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