CCG Announces Biotechnology Investment Conference; Biotechnology Innovations and Investment Catalysts to Be Presented.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

Coffin Communications Group ("CCG") (www.coffincg.com) today announced details on its upcoming investment conference, which will focus on biotechnology companies. The conference will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2002, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at McCormick & Schmick's Restaurant, 206 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Registration at 1:00 p.m. will be followed by a working luncheon. Presentations by participating companies will run until 3:00 p.m., followed by an informal Q&A session and cocktails.

The conference will provide a forum for companies in the biotechnology sector to make presentations to institutional and retail investors. The companies participating are Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS), North American Scientific (NASDAQ: NASI), Genetronics Biomedical Corporation (AMEX: GEB) (TSX: GEB) and Maxim Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAXM) (Stockholm Exchange: MAXM).

Fariba F. Ghodsian, Ph.D., Managing Director, Director of Healthcare Research with Roth Capital Partners, LLC, will summarize the sector's current condition and future prospects. Dr. Ghodsian holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT, an MBA from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Oxford University. She has also been a postdoctoral fellow with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ghodsian has worked as vice president and biotechnology analyst for firms such as Lehman Bros., Hancock Institutional (Sutro and Tucker Anthony) and Wedbush Morgan Securities. In the Monday, June 17, 2002 issue of The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Ghodsian was ranked fourth out of 53 biotechnology analysts among "The Master Stock Pickers" in the sector.

"The downturn in biotechnology stocks in recent months highlights the need for a clearer understanding of the sector and its long-term potential," said conference organizer and CCG Partner Sean Collins, who will moderate the event. "Valuations throughout the biotechnology sector obscure a wide range of opportunities for investors who are willing to devote some study to the science and to give solid returns time to take shape."

Investors wishing to attend should secure reservations by calling CCG at [phone].

About the Participating Companies

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS), Carlsbad, CA, is exploiting its expertise in RNA to discover and develop novel human therapeutic drugs. The company has commercialized its first product, Vitravene(R) (fomivirsen), to treat CMV-induced retinitis in AIDS patients. In addition, Isis has 13 antisense products in its development pipeline with two in late-stage development and six in Phase II human clinical trials. Affinitac(TM), an inhibitor of PKC-alpha, is in Phase III trials for non-small cell lung cancer, and alicaforsen (ISIS 2302), an ICAM-1 inhibitor, is in a Phase III trial in Crohn's disease. Isis has a broad patent estate as the owner or exclusive licensee of more than 900 issued patents worldwide. Isis' GeneTrove(TM) division uses antisense to assist pharmaceutical industry partners in validating and prioritizing potential gene targets through customized services. Ibis Therapeutics(TM) is a division focused on the discovery of small molecule drugs that bind to RNA. Additional information about Isis is available at www.isispharm.com.

Affinitac(TM), a trademark of Eli Lilly and Company, is an investigational cancer compound being developed through an alliance between Lilly and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and marketed globally by Lilly. GeneTrove(TM) and Ibis Therapeutics(TM) are trademarks of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Vitravene(R) is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.

North American Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: NASI), with headquarters in Chatsworth, CA, designs, develops and produces radioisotopic products, including brachytherapy seeds and radiopharmaceuticals, for the treatment and diagnosis of disease. The Company has applied its expertise in radioisotopes to develop and market products for medical, environmental, research and industrial applications. The Company's first two therapeutic products are iodine-based and palladium-based implantable brachytherapy seeds for the treatment of prostate cancer. These products are marketed under the trademarks IoGold and PdGold. The Company is also testing Apomate(TM), an in vivo nuclear medicine imaging agent that targets cells undergoing apoptosis or necrosis, two forms of cell death. Applications currently being investigated in clinical trials involve the use of Apomate(TM) for the early, rapid assessment of individual patient response to chemotherapy and for localized monitoring of heart damage following a heart attack or treatment for heart disease. For more information, visit www.nasi.net.

Genetronics Biomedical Corporation (AMEX: GEB) (TSX: GEB), San Diego, CA, specializes in targeted intracellular delivery of drugs and genes utilizing electroporation which temporarily causes permeability in the cell wall. In oncology, Genetronics has recently launched Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of recurrent head & neck cancer. In gene therapy, Genetronics has multiple collaborations with major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for the use of electroporation for gene delivery. Genetronics BTX(R) Division, a leader in molecular delivery, features electroporation and electrofusion technology for research laboratory markets worldwide. More information can be obtained at www.genetronics.com.

Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAXM) (Stockholm Exchange: MAXM), headquartered in San Diego, CA, is a global bio-pharmaceutical company with a diverse pipeline of therapeutic candidates for life-threatening cancers, hepatitis C and chronic liver diseases. The Company's lead drug candidate Ceplene (histamine dihydrochloride) is in Phase 3 clinical trials and is designed to prevent or reverse damage associated with oxidative stress, thereby protecting immune cells and other critical cells and tissue. Because Ceplene impacts basic immune functions, it has the potential to be used in a broad range of diseases in which oxidative stress plays an important role. More than 1,300 patients have participated in the Company's 15 completed and ongoing clinical trials of Ceplene in advanced metastatic melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer), acute myelogenous leukemia (the most common adult leukemia) and renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer); and hepatitis C, the most common blood-borne virus in the United States. To learn more about Maxim, please visit: www.maxim.com.

About Roth Capital Partners, LLC

Founded in 1984, Roth Capital Partners, LLC is one of the last remaining independent investment banks dedicated to emerging growth companies in the small and micro-cap market. The firm's independence allows it to maintain its focus on these companies, their entrepreneurial managers and their highly specialized financing needs.

Roth Capital Partners is a leading full-service investment bank dedicated to providing innovative, professional financial services to emerging growth companies. Roth's commitment to this segment of the market is unsurpassed and its success is founded on delivering solutions while providing the highest quality service.

In 2000, Roth Capital Partners completed 29 public and private offerings raising more than $610 million in capital for clients and advised on 9 mergers and acquisitions. The firm's web site is at www.rothcp.com.

About Coffin Communications Group ("CCG")

Coffin Communications Group ("CCG"), one of the country's leading investor relations firms, specializes in managing investor relations for over 30 publicly traded companies, including Mentor Corp. (NASDAQ: MNTR), North American Scientific, (NASDAQ: NASI), Maxim Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAXM), Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RZYM), Exult Inc. (NASDAQ: EXLT), Retalix Limited (NASDAQ: RTLX), and Genetronics Biomedical Corporation (AMEX: GEB). The full-service investor relations agency has corporate headquarters in Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles) and additional offices in Irvine, CA and San Francisco, CA. For further information, contact Coffin Communications Group directly, or visit the Company's Web site at www.coffincg.com.