AVI BioPharma Selects Lenox Hill Hospital as Primary Site for Phase II Clinical Trials of Resten-NG for Cardiovascular Restenosis.

Business Editors, Health/Medical Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2000

AVI's new generation of antisense compounds to be studied at

highly esteemed cardiac care center in New York 

AVI BioPharma, INC. (Nasdaq:AVII) (Nasdaq:AVIIW) (Nasdaq:AVIIZ), today announced it has selected Lenox Hill Hospital in New York for its Phase II human clinical trials of Resten-NG(TM), the first compound from AVI's novel third-generation NeuGene(R) antisense technology platform.

Resten-NG will be evaluated in cardiovascular restenosis.

AVI's choice of Lenox Hill Hospital gives the company access to a staff of nationally renowned researchers to further clinical trials of its new class of gene-targeted drugs. The hospital is a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. Its cardiovascular division performs 2,700 balloon angioplasties annually. Drs. Martin Leon and Jeffery Moses, Chief, Interventional Cardiology at the hospital, will serve as principal investigators for the study.

Restenosis, the reclosing of the artery, is a complication that occurs in 20 to 40 percent of patients following balloon angioplasty. The Phase II trial will evaluate efficacy of Resten-NG against this complication in 100 patients undergoing the angioplasty procedure.

Extensive preclinical studies in treating restenosis indicate Resten-NG preserves vessel passageways and prevents arterial wall thickening. Delivering the compound to the site of angioplasty blocks the growth and proliferation events in the vessel walls. Additionally, preclinical studies indicated that it was considerably more effective, stable and potent, and less toxic than other antisense agents in clinical development.

&uot;We are pleased to team up with one of the leading interventional cardiology groups in the country to conduct our Phase II study,&uot; Denis Burger, President and CEO of AVI said. &uot;We believe that this next research phase brings us closer to fulfilling the promise that other antisense technologies have struggled or failed to meet.&uot;

&uot;We saw excellent results when we participated in the preclinical studies of Resten-NG,&uot; commented Dr. Moses. &uot;That makes us even more eager to introduce this new generation of antisense technology into our interventional cardiology practice.&uot;

A 652-bed facility, Lenox Hill Hospital is part of the Lenox Hill Healthcare Network, and a major teaching affiliate of NYU Medical Center. The hospital has earned a national reputation for providing the highest quality care to patients and for contributing to progress in research. It is particularly well known for its cardiac care.

Approximately 600,000 balloon angioplasty procedures are performed in the United States every year. Resten-NG targets the genetic sequence c-myc, a gene responsible for initiating cell replication.

&uot;Extensive preclinical studies of the compound in treating restenosis have shown highly significant preservation of vessel passageways and prevention of arterial wall thickening in different animal models,&uot; concluded Dr. Nick Kipshidze, Medical Director of the study at Lenox Hill.

A second study site will be announced in the coming months. Individuals interested in enrollment information for the Phase II study should call 206/285-5588.

AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using two technology platforms: cancer immunotherapy and gene-targeted drugs. Its lead clinical agent, Avicine, a therapeutic cancer vaccine, is in a Phase II trial in pancreatic cancer, and will soon enter a Phase III pivotal trial in colorectal cancer and a Phase II trial in prostate cancer. AVI has begun clinical trials on Resten-NG in cardiovascular restenosis, the first application of its novel third generation NeuGene antisense technology. 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. More information about AVI is available at its website, http://www.avibio.com.

The statements that are not historical facts contained in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of research and development efforts, the results of pre-clinical and clinical testing, the effect of regulation by the FDA and other agencies, the impact of competitive products, product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and other risks detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.