OncoGenex reports lead drug candidate OGX-011 achieved primary endpoint in Phase 2 Trial with second-line chemotherapy for prost...( Data presented at the 2008 G...)

Data presented at the 2008 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

VANCOUVER, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ - OncoGenex Technologies Inc. announced today that the Company's lead cancer drug candidate, OGX-011, also referred to as custirsen, was well-tolerated in combination with either docetaxel or mitoxantrone administered as second-line chemotherapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer. Additionally, patients treated with second-line chemotherapy plus OGX-011 showed ongoing survival durations better than results published with chemotherapy alone. Phase 2 data were presented today at the 2008 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. OncoGenex and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS) are collaborating on development of OGX-011.

According to data presented by Dr. Fred Saad, Professor of Surgery/Urology at the University of Montreal, the primary objectives of safety and tolerability were achieved in the 42 patients evaluated in the study. In addition, encouraging outcomes were observed with OGX-011 administered in combination with second-line chemotherapy.

- More chemotherapy than expected was safely administered to and

tolerated by patients when OGX-011 was combined with second-line

chemotherapy: Patients received a median of 6 cycles of mitoxantrone

or 7.5 cycles of docetaxel as second-line chemotherapy. These data

compare favorably with published reports documenting a median of

3-4 cycles with second-line chemotherapy alone.

- Survival was better than expected based on previously published

reports: With a median follow-up of 13.3 months following second-line

chemotherapy, approximately 30 percent of patients in both arms have