YM BIOSCIENCES ANNOUNCES NIMOTUZUMAB PRESENTATIONS TO BE MADE AT THE 100TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH AND EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR MEDICA...( MISSISSAUGA ON March 13 / YM BioScien...),Health

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - YM BioSciences Inc. (NYSE Alternext US:YMI, TSX:YM, AIM:YMBA), an oncology company that identifies, develops and commercializes differentiated products for patients worldwide, today reported that its poster entitled, "Binding properties of the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, nimotuzumab, limit interaction with the EGFR in renal and epidermal cells", has been accepted for presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) 100th Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado on April 20th, 2009 (Abstract # 2763; Hall B-F, Poster Section 31; Session ID: Clinical Research 10).

The abstract of this poster has been published today (09-AB-5492-AACR).

"Data to be presented at the AACR and ESMO conferences, combined with rash being reported independent of the KRAS status of patients, are in sharp contrast to the dated speculation that toxicity is a marker for efficacy of EGFR-targeting agents," said David Allan, Chairman and CEO of YM BioSciences. "The data we present show the monovalent binding to normal cells of other antibodies confirming that only nimotuzumab will avoid severe rash, hypomagnesemia and the other debilitating toxicities common with the marketed antibodies. Consequently, nimotuzumab's benign safety profile makes it the anti-EGFR agent of choice for chronic use."

The objectives of the study to be presented at AACR were to examine whether the cause of the toxicities seen with currently marketed anti-EGFR antibodies, particularly severe skin rash and hypomagnesemia, were the result of properties intrinsic to the individual antibodies or to the class. The results show that Erbitux(R) binds to normal cells because it is capable of monovalent binding to very low expressions of EGFR whereas nimotuzumab's monovalent binding is transient. It is this transient monovalent binding that results in its benign safety profile. Both antibodies bind definitively when binding bivalently.'/>"/>