AVI BioPharma to Testify Before Congressional Committee on Bioterrorism Research and Development.PORTLAND, Ore. -- AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVII), today announced that Alan P. Timmins, AVI's president and COO, will testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness. The hearing will examine the challenges of bringing to the fore promising new medical treatments to address bioterror and other public health threats. Timmins was invited to speak on a panel discussion titled, "Crossing the Valley of Death: Bringing Promising Medical Countermeasures to BioShield." His testimony will provide the perspective of one of a small number of companies with technology applicable to biodefense and other serious public health issues. In addition to describing the company's unique, proprietary technology, NEUGENE(R) antisense, Timmins will present his insights into how the government can streamline the advance of this and other promising technologies in the public interest. "Our continued work with government and academic scientists supports our extensive history of using this rapid response antisense technology to target a variety of viruses and toxins listed as bioterror and public health threats," Timmins said. "Receiving an invitation to testify before the committee from Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness, is a true honor. We believe this invitation results from the strength of our technology, and our efforts to ensure that policymakers understand the potential of this technology for treating heretofore unassailable infectious disease agents and toxins." AVI is researching several biodefense and public health areas in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID USAMRIID United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (US DoD) ), the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research This article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute (not the hospital). Otherwise, see Walter Reed (disambiguation). The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. (WRAIR WRAIR Walter Reed Army Institute of Research ), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. (CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ). AVI's NEUGENE antisense agents are being tested against multiple viruses, including dengue, Ebola and Marburg, as well as lethal toxins, such as those from anthrax and ricin. In 2004, AVI was allocated $5 million from the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations for two AVI infectious disease programs. AVI's NEUGENE rapid response therapeutics are well-suited to combating new and reemerging infectious diseases that threaten public health. NEUGENES are synthetic compounds that mirror a critical portion of a disease-causing organism's genetic code and bind to specific portions of the target genetic sequence. Like a key in a lock, NEUGENE antisense compounds are designed to match up precisely with a specific gene or viral sequence, blocking the function of the target gene or virus. AVI's research program has produced antisense drugs shown to be active against a range of single-stranded RNA viruses, including West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. (WNV), dengue virus, SARS coronavirus, hepatitis C virus
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 9, at 2 p.m. EDT in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building The Dirksen Senate Office Building was the second office building constructed for members of the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. and was named after the late Minority Leader Everett Dirksen from Illinois in 1972. in Washington, D.C. Timmins' testimony will also be available on the AVI Web site at http://www.avibio.com. About AVI BioPharma AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using third-generation NEUGENE(R) antisense drugs. AVI's lead NEUGENE antisense compound is designed to target cell proliferation disorders, including cardiovascular restenosis, cancer and polycystic kidney disease Polycystic Kidney Disease Definition Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common of all life-threatening human genetic disorders. . In addition to targeting specific genes in the body, AVI's antiviral program uses NEUGENE antisense compounds to combat disease by targeting single-stranded RNA viruses, including West Nile virus, hepatitis C virus, dengue virus and Ebola virus. More information about AVI is available on the company's Web site at http://www.avibio.com. "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995: 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 preclinical and clinical testing, the effect of regulation by the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. 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. |
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