Avid Radiopharmaceuticals to Present Clinical Trial Advances in Molecular Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and Diabetes.

Data to be presented at the 56(th) Annual Society of Nuclear Medicine Meeting

PHILADELPHIA -- Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that three oral presentations and four poster presentations will be made about the Company's PET imaging programs in three focus areas - Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and diabetes - at the upcoming 56th Annual Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) meeting in Toronto, Canada, beginning June 13, 2009.

Avid is a leading company in the development of novel molecular imaging compounds intended for the early detection and monitoring of significant chronic human diseases. Avid's 18F-AV-45 was the first amyloid imaging compound to enter multi-center, IND-approved, clinical studies in the U.S., and has now been studied in more than 350 individuals, ranging from cognitively normal individuals to those with Alzheimer's disease. 18F-AV-45 entered a pivotal registration study using a unique trial design that was based upon recommendations by the FDA neurology advisory committee in October 2008.

Avid's second pipeline program, VMAT2 imaging of nigrostriatal degeneration with 18F-AV-133, is in Phase I and II clinical trials. These early clinical studies have shown encouraging results for the ability of 18F-AV-133 to visualize decreases in VMAT2 signal in the brain associated with PD and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In addition, 18F-AV-133 has been shown to be marker of beta cells of the pancreas in preclinical studies. The compound is now in Phase I studies to test the ability of this molecular imaging agent to distinguish type 1 and type 2 diabetes subjects from healthy normal individuals based on a PET scan of the pancreas.

Avid's presentations at the upcoming SNM meeting will cover new research and development results on these F-18 radiopharmaceuticals: 18F-AV-45 for imaging amyloid plaque, a key pathological component of Alzheimer's disease, 18F-AV-133 for imaging VMAT2, a marker of dopaminergic synapse density which is affected in diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies, as well as being a potential biomarker for beta cells, the key insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas which are effected in diabetes.

Presentations on Avid's three pipeline programs will be held on the following days:

MONDAY, JUNE 15(th)

* Presentation No. 124 -- Dr. Chris Rowe from Austin Health in Melbourne Australia, will present: "In vivo quantification of striatal VMAT2 with [F-18] AV-133"

* Presentation No. 1190 -- Dr. Seok-Rye Choi of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals will present: "F-18 AV-45: A PET imaging agent for mapping beta-amyloid plaques in the brain"

* Presentation No. 1202 -- Dr. Hank Kung of the University of Pennsylvania will present: "F-18 AV-45 is an amyloid plaque-specific PET imaging agent"

* Presentation No. 1249 -- Dr. Michael Pontecorvo of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals will present: "Test-retest reproducibility of 18F-AV-133 PET imaging of dopaminergic neuron integrity"

* Presentation No. 1251 -- Dr. Michael Pontecorvo of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals will present: "Test-retest reproducibility of 18F-AV-45 PET amyloid imaging"

TUESDAY, JUNE 16(th)

* Presentation No. 321 -- Dr. Hank Kung from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will present: "F-18 AV-133 as a biomarker for pancreas beta islet cells"

* Presentation No. 425 -- Dr. Daniel Skovronsky of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will present: "Semi-quantitative visual rating of 18F-AV-45 PET Scans"

"We are very pleased that our lead compounds 18F-AV-45 and 18F-AV-133 will be the focus of several different presentations at this year's SNM scientific program," said Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Avid. "We've made great strides with our family of compounds, and now have clinical trials ongoing in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and diabetes. We are glad to see the acceleration of new developments in PET imaging compounds with the potential to identify patients who will most benefit from early intervention in major diseases."

Henry N. Wagner, Jr, M.D., Professor Emeritus of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who has dedicated over 40 years to the research of new PET tracers for the molecular imaging of the brain, commented, "It is gratifying to see that the trend toward increased use of new PET radiopharmaceuticals, which I have been predicting for some time, is now really taking hold. With new programs in three distinct areas of PET research, young and innovative companies, such as Avid, are taking a lead role in changing the landscape of molecular nuclear medicine and in laying important groundwork for the personalized healthcare of the future."

About Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc.

Based in Philadelphia, PA, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc. is a leader in the development of molecular imaging products with the potential for earlier and more effective detection, diagnosis and monitoring of major chronic human diseases. The company is a pioneer in the development of molecular imaging agents for Alzheimer's disease that could lead to earlier diagnosis and better evaluation of drugs designed to prevent or reverse amyloid plaque build-up in the brain. Avid is currently conducting Phase III clinical studies of 18F-AV-45 for imaging amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease, and is in Phase I and II trials with 18F-AV-133 for imaging the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) in diseases involving dopaminergic degeneration (Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies) and beta cell dysfunction (Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus). More information about Avid is available at www.avidrp.com.