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Pheromone's Principal Researcher to Present 'Diabetes Reversal Model' at World Transplant Congress

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 July 2006, 21:01 CDT

Pheromone Sciences Corp. ("Pheromone")(TSX VENTURE: PHS) is pleased to announce that Dr. David White, principal researcher on the Company's 'Diabetes Reversal' product development, will present his latest research results at the World Transplant Congress in Boston on Friday, July 28th.

In a special session convened by the International Xenotransplant Association, Dr White will unveil the experimental model (pig to rat) in which he demonstrated enhanced suppression of the host's immune system to allow for long term survival of implanted, insulin-producing islet cells.

Dr. White's model is the basis for Pheromone's research project on reversing diabetes by co-transplanting two types of pig cells in an implanted device: (a) islet cells which produce insulin compatible for humans, and (b) Sertoli cells which will naturally protect those injected islet cells from attack by the body's immune defence system. Pheromone owns the exclusive rights to over 20 patents related to the therapeutic use of Sertoli cells.

By using rigorous and widely accepted scientific experimentation methods, Pheromone's goal is to receive approval for this cellular therapy product from the United States Food and Drug Administration, and from other national regulatory bodies throughout the world.

About Dr. White

Dr White graduated from the Universities of Surrey and Cambridge and in 1975 was awarded a PhD in Immunology from Cambridge. He was Board Certified in Pathology in 1984 (MRCPath) and elected as a fellow of the college in 1995 (FRCPath). Dr White holds appointments on the Editorial Board of several major international transplantation journals, has served as a member of government advisory committees, and has been awarded a number of academic prizes for his work. He has published over 300 scientific papers on subjects related to transplant immunology.

Dr. White first became interested in transplantation while undertaking research at the Department of Surgery at Cambridge University in the 1970s. In conjunction with Professor Sir Roy Calne, he undertook much of the original experimental and clinical work that led to the development of the immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporin A. The drug became pivotal in preventing organ rejection following transplantation and has allowed new transplantation procedures to be developed.

His research into the immunological process underlying rejection of organ transplants led him to investigate how the immune system could be modified to enable successful transplantation of non-human organs - potentially solving the 'organ donor crisis'. These studies led Dr White in 1992 to create the world's first genetically engineered pigs whose organs and tissues were modified for transplantation into humans. In 1984 he and transplant surgeon John Wallwork founded Imutran Limited, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis Pharma AG in 1996., and Dr White was appointed to the Novartis Global Research Management Board. In 2000 Dr White was appointed the Novartis/Stiller Professor of Xenotransplantation at the University of Western Ontario.

Pheromone Sciences Corp. is a biotechnology research and development company focused on commercializing medical technologies.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Dev Randhawa, CEO

 Contacts: Pheromone Sciences Corp. Mr. Phil Morehouse (250) 868-8177 (250) 868-8493 (FAX)  

SOURCE: Pheromone Sciences Corp.

Source: MARKET WIRE

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