| Lorus patent allowed by U.S. Patent Office 
 Lorus Therapeutics Inc                                                  LOR
 Shares issued 120,945,940                                Jun 12 close $3.30
 Tue 13 Jun 2000                                                News Release
 Mr. Philippe Lacaille reports
 A patent was allowed by the United States Patent and  Trademark  Office  to
 specifically protect GTI-2501, one of Lorus's lead anticancer drugs.
 The patent ("Antitumour Antisense Sequences  Directed  Against  R1  and  R2
 Components  of  Ribonucleotide  Reductase") was allowed based on the unique
 antitumour activity of GTI-2501, which is directly related to the  positive
 findings  of  tumour  regression in mouse models with human tumours derived
 from breast and kidney cancers.
 The allowed patent gives Lorus strong protection for the unique composition
 of  GTI-2501, safeguards Lorus's interests in the anticancer drug GTI-2040,
 which is currently in a Phase I/II clinical  trial,  and  insulates  Lorus'
 technology on the design and use of unique antisense, anticancer drugs that
 target the expression  of  two  genes  that  play  critical  roles  in  the
 development of cancer.
 "This patent acknowledges  the  outstanding  activity  of  GTI-2501,  which
 entered  into toxicity studies earlier this month. The toxicity studies are
 expected to be  completed  by  the  end  of  the  year  and  represent  the
 achievement of another company milestone," said Philippe G. Lacaille, chair
 and chief executive officer. "Upon completion of the toxicity  studies,  we
 expect  to  file an investigational new drug (IND) submission with the Food
 and Drug Administration and then proceed to clinical trials."
 Lorus  is  a  biopharmaceutical  company  focused  on  the   research   and
 development  of  cancer  therapies.  Lorus'  goal  is  to capitalize on its
 research, pre-clinical, clinical and regulatory expertise by developing new
 drug  candidates  that  can  be  used,  either alone, or in combination, to
 successfully manage cancer. Through an active acquisition and  in-licensing
 program,  Lorus  is  building  a  portfolio  of promising anticancer drugs.
 Late-stage clinical developments and marketing will be done in  cooperation
 with  strategic pharmaceutical partners. Founded in 1986, Lorus is a public
 company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LOR,  and  on
 the NASDAQ OTC BB exchange under the symbol LORFF.
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