( EAGAN Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4 2...)Biothera's Imprime PGG Enhanced Effectiveness of Avastin in Cancer,Study,Health

EAGAN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2007 - Imprime PGG(TM), an investigational new drug from Biothera that enhances the innate immune system response, increases the effectiveness of Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) to kill cancer cells, according to new preclinical research presented yesterday at the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Researchers at the Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky, studied the synergistic effects of Imprime PGG in combination with Avastin in a xenograft mouse model where human ovarian cancer cells were implanted into the mice. In the treatment group receiving both Imprime PGG and Avastin, 86% of the mice survived 100 days compared with only 43% in the group receiving Avastin alone.

"The combination of Imprime PGG and Avastin should be considered as potential treatment approach in patients with VEGF-expressing tumors and needs to be further investigated in clinical trials," said Carolina Salvador, M.D., a clinical instructor at the Brown Cancer Center.

"The results are consistent with previous research demonstrating improved outcomes for both tumor size and long-term survival when Imprime PGG is combined with complement-activating monoclonal antibodies," said Daniel K. Conners, president of Biothera's Pharmaceutical Group. "Our technology has the potential to dramatically enhance both existing and developmental drug treatments for most major types of cancer."

The ASCO poster presentation is entitled, "Cytotoxicity of Bevacizumab is Enhanced by Beta-glucan in Tumors Expressing Membrane-Bound VEGF." Dr. Salvador conducted the research in collaboration with Jun Yan, MD, Ph.D., the lead researcher at the Tumor Immunobiology Program at the Brown Cancer Center.

About Imprime PGG(TM)

Imprime PGG is a biological response modifier that enhances specific innate immune cell responses. Biothera has completed two Phas
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