Five and Under

[bagheera]

NEOP had some great news..
Aastrom Biosciences and Neoprobe Corporation Enter Into Cell Therapy Development Agreement


- Companies to Co-Develop Proprietary Lymphocyte Therapy for Cancer -

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTM) and Neoprobe Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: NEOP) announced today the initiation of a development collaboration between the two companies for a new immune system cell therapy product to treat cancer. The collaboration will integrate Neoprobe's proprietary lymph node lymphocyte (LNL) cell technology with Aastrom's patented AastromReplicell(TM) System and lymphocyte production technologies, with the goal of producing a clinically usable cell therapy product.

"We intend to assess whether the AastromReplicell(TM) System can provide a consistent and reliable means to clinically evaluate and commercialize Neoprobe's proprietary activated LNL cell technology as an oncology therapy," stated David Bupp, President and CEO of Neoprobe. "Upon a successful completion of our assessment, we anticipate incorporating the AastromReplicell(TM) System into Neoprobe's Phase II study for colorectal cancer. We also intend to evaluate the AastromReplicell(TM) System in conjunction with Neoprobe's cellular therapy programs for breast cancer and to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy agents in a variety of cancers. In connection with Neoprobe's development alliance with Cira Ltd., the AastromReplicell(TM) System will also be evaluated in applications to treat viral diseases and immune dysfunction."

"Cell-based immunotherapies for cancer treatment are beginning to show promising clinical results," stated R. Douglas Armstrong, Ph.D., President and CEO of Aastrom. "The field is being accelerated by discoveries of specific cell populations, such as Neoprobe's LNL cell technology, that are therapeutically active. What has been missing, is an effective way to produce these cells in a clinical environment, and in a way that retains a high level of biological activity. It is our plan to automate the LNL process on the AastromReplicell(TM) System toward the objective of enabling a more practical delivery of this therapeutic approach into large-scale clinical development and towards standard medical practices."

Neoprobe has been developing activated LNL cell therapies to treat breast and colorectal cancer. The proprietary LNL process was evaluated in Phase I/II clinical studies in metastatic colorectal patients, most of whom had extensive hepatic disease. Despite the advanced nature of their disease, the treated patients had an extended median survival compared to that which normally would have been expected based upon the advanced nature of the patient's disease. In addition, an improved response to standard chemotherapy agents was observed in the treated patients.

Aastrom is developing proprietary products and processes intended to meet the critical objectives of providing a high-quality, biologically-active cell product through processes that are compliant with regulatory requirements and made accessible at the point of patient care. The AastromReplicell(TM) System platform is being used by Aastrom to develop several cell therapeutic products that are in various clinical trials and studies, including the SC-I stem cell therapy product, the CB-I cord blood cell product, the OC-I bone cell product, and the DC-I dendritic cell vaccine product.

About Neoprobe Corporation

In addition to investigating LNL cell technology as a part of Neoprobe's Activated Cellular Therapy Initiative, Neoprobe manufactures a line of gamma detection systems currently being used for intra-operative lymphatic mapping (ILM), an emerging standard of care technology for breast cancer and melanoma. ILM begins with a patient being injected at the site of a tumor with a commercially available radioactive tracing agent. The agent is intended to follow the same lymphatic flow as the cancer would if it had metastasized or spread to lymph nodes. The surgeon, using the gamma radiation detection probe, may then identify key (sentinel) lymph nodes to be tested for cancer. Neoprobe has begun the cliniad great news..