AVI Presents Data on Oral Delivery of NeuGene Antisense Drugs at Prestigious Scientific Symposium
PORTLAND, Ore. - Jan. 22, 2003 - AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVII, AVIIW, AVIIZ), today announced that scientist Vikram Arora, Ph.D., presented data from two preclinical studies evaluating orally-administered proprietary NeuGene® antisense drugs as therapeutic agents for blocking gene targets in liver. The data were presented to the Keystone Symposia - Drug Target Validation: Gene Suppression, held at the Granlibakken Resort in Tahoe City, California. Dr. Arora's talk was titled "Inhibition of Gene Expression in the Liver Following Oral Administration of Morpholino Oligomers."
The two studies evaluated the oral bioavailability, stability and efficacy of two distinct NeuGene antisense drugs. In the first study, AVI's NeuGene antisense (AVI-4126) targeting the c-myc gene slowed the regenerative process in the rat liver after a 70 percent partial removal of the liver. Analysis of the liver tissue from rats treated orally with AVI-4126 showed a substantial reduction in the target protein c-myc.
The second study targeted the gene for liver enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A2 using NeuGene antisense (AVI-4472). Oral administration of AVI-4472 reduced the targeted cytochrome P450 enzyme levels in the rat liver approximately fivefold over a 24-hour period.
"We are very pleased with the results of these two studies," Dr. Arora said. "The data indicate a clear potential for developing orally administered NeuGene antisense as therapeutic agents. In addition, we are finding that AVI's third-generation antisense is an extremely efficient inhibitor of gene expression in the liver and can be used in a variety of clinical settings."
Both studies were partially funded by the United States Public Health Service.
About AVI BioPharma
AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using two technology platforms: NeuGene antisense drugs and cancer immunotherapy. Its lead cancer agent, AVICINE®, a therapeutic cancer vaccine, has completed three Phase II trials in colorectal and pancreatic cancer and is initiating a Phase III pivotal trial in pancreatic cancer, with a supporting study in colorectal cancer. The first application of its NeuGene compounds, Resten-NG™, is designed to treat cancer, cardiovascular restenosis and other cell proliferation disorders by inhibiting the production of a cellular transcription factor, the oncogene c-myc. It is currently in Phase II trials for restenosis and in a Phase I/II trial for cancer. AVI has completed three Phase I NeuGene antisense studies that successfully down-regulated the liver enzyme cytochrome P450 and modified drug metabolism, and a Phase I/II trial in polycystic kidney disease. More information about AVI is available on the Company's Web site at http://www.avibio.com/.
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