Cytran Announces Executive Management Promotion and Completion of Pivotal Clinical Trial Enrollment.

Health/Medical Writers

KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BW HealthWire)--Feb. 22, 2001

Cytran, a privately held biotechnology company developing anti-cancer drug therapies, has promoted William D. Milligan to President and Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2001 and elected him to the Company's Board of Directors, Dennis C. Fill, Cytran Chairman announced today.

The Company also said that it has completed the enrollment of 200 patients for its pivotal Phase III trial testing efficacy of its lead drug, IM862, in an AIDS-related malignancy, Kaposi's sarcoma. Research suggests that IM862 has a broad spectrum of anti-cancer properties, including immune system stimulation and angiogenesis inhibition.

"We are pleased that a biopharmaceutical executive of Bill's caliber and talent will be leading the Company as we enter this critical stage of our development," Fill said. "With our registration trial now fully enrolled, we are on track to evaluate its results in early fall. If the trial proves successful, the Company expects to file a New Drug Application for IM862 with the US Food and Drug Administration in early 2002."

Milligan currently serves as Cytran's President and Chief Operating Officer and succeeds Fill as CEO. Milligan has over 18 years' experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Prior to joining Cytran, he served as CEO and on the Board of Directors of Intellivax International Inc. of Montreal and Baltimore, a privately held company developing vaccines for influenza, HIV and other infectious diseases. He also held executive management positions with Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. (Canada) and Eli Lilly Canada, Inc.

To date, over 400 patients with various malignancies have received IM862 with only minor drug-related toxicity observed. IM862 is a small molecule comprised of two amino acids and enters the bloodstream through the nasal mucosa. In Cytran's clinical trials patients self-administer the drug as nose drops.

Results of a Phase II trial of IM862 in patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma were presented at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in February 2000. In that study, 37 percent of patients experienced either a complete or partial response and an additional 48 percent did not have their cancer progress.

Cytran chose KS for IM862's first indication to demonstrate immune system stimulation and angiogenesis inhibition because of this malignant tumor's highly vascular nature and because changes in the tumor are easily observed and measured. The drug is also being tested in patients with ovarian, prostate and other cancers.

Cytran, Inc. is headquartered near Seattle and has an agreement with ALZA Corporation granting marketing rights to IM862 in the United States and Canada. For further information on Cytran and its clinical trials, please visit www.cytran.com.