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Biotech / Medical : Oncothyreon -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: VLAD who wrote (576)	4/20/1999 5:01:00 PM
From: Antar	Respond to of 2344

April 20, 1999 Biomira Vaccine Subject of American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting Presentations Cancer Vaccine Tested in Bone Marrow Transplant and Stem Cell Rescue Patients EDMONTON, AB, April 20 /CNW/ - Biomira Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOM) (TSE, ME: BRA) announced today that findings from clinical trials with its lead product candidate, THERATOPE(R) vaccine, will be presented at the 35th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Atlanta, May 15-18. Leona Holmberg, M.D., Ph.D., Brenda Sandmaier, M.D., and co-investigators at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, will be presenting data from a clinical trial of THERATOPE(R) cancer vaccine in patients with breast and ovarian cancers following hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Separately, Charles Vogel, M.D., FACP, Columbia Cancer Research Network, has been informed that an abstract concerning the use of THERATOPE(R) vaccine in Biomira's multi-center bridging study in women with metastatic breast cancer following first-line chemotherapy, was accepted for publication in the 1999 ASCO Proceedings. The bridging study was carried out before the Company initiated its pivotal Phase III trial currently underway. ''We are very pleased that the efforts of our investigators using THERATOPE(R) cancer vaccine are being acknowledged by this prestigious organization,'' said Alex McPherson, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Biomira. ''We are working diligently to see this promising new drug in the fight against cancer through to commercialization.'' Biomira initiated pivotal Phase III clinical trials with THERATOPE(R) vaccine late last year, and plans to enroll 900 evaluable patients with metastatic breast cancer at approximately 75 sites worldwide. Earlier studies suggested clinically significant survival benefit in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with THERATOPE(R) vaccine. THERATOPE(R) vaccine consists of a synthetic antigen that mimics STn, a cancer-associated epitope, and induces the body to mount an effective immune response against cancer cells. The data being featured at the May conference further support findings that THERATOPE(R) vaccine may have potential as a powerful tool in battling cancer. ASCO's 1999 Annual Meeting will be at the Georgia World Congress Center and will feature over 150 scientific and educational presentations, as well as an exhibition with over 250 industry representatives. It is the largest professional meeting on clinical data about new cancer therapies. Biomira is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to cancer management. The commitment to the treatment of cancer currently focuses on the development of synthetic vaccines and novel strategies for cancer immunotherapy. We are the Cancer Vaccine People(TM). This release may contain forward-looking statements. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, including those predicting the timing of clinical trials or the efficacy of products. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the Company's expectations are correct. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Cautionary Statement. For further information: Company Media Contact: Bill Wickson, (780) 490-2818; Company Investor Relations Contact: Jane Tulloch, (780) 490-2812; Media Contact: Brad Miles, (212) 477-9007 ext. 17; Investor Contact: Jonathan Fassberg, (212) 477-9007 ext. 16; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Susan Edmonds, (206) 667-2896