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Aastrom Biosciences Forms European Clinical Network for Stem CellTransplant Product-- Aastrom's SC-I Bone Marrow Stem Cells Intend to ImproveCancer Treatment Options -
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb 28, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTM), announced today the formalization of a European cancer center network. The multi-national European network will collaboratively establish clinical validation of Aastrom's SC-I bone marrow stem cell product for use in supporting cancer patients lacking sufficient cells for a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant. Each clinical center will share a common clinical protocol to treat three to five patients, and will cooperate to publish the clinical data. Following successful completion of this clinical phase, these centers will be able to routinely use the SC-I product on a commercial basis.

"The formation of this cancer center network is an important advancement for Aastrom's commercialization efforts in Europe," stated R. Douglas Armstrong, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aastrom. "Having such high quality stem cell transplant programs validate, publish and commercially use the SC-I product should stimulate other centers to adopt Aastrom's novel cell products for their own standard medical use."

The European centers participating in this network are Centre de Transfusio i Banc de Teixits del Institut Catala de la Salut in Barcelona, Spain, Med. Klinik und Poliklinik V, Universitat Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany, Centre Pluridisciplinaire d'Oncologie in Lausanne, Switzerland and The Norwegian Radium Hospital in Oslo, Norway. The SC-I bone marrow stem cell product is expected to be used for patients undergoing stem cell transplants as part of their treatment regimen for advanced Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and solid tumors such as breast cancer or germ cell cancer.

After high-dose chemotherapy, cancer patients require a bone marrow or PBSC transplant to restore blood counts and immune function. Patients unable to mobilize adequate doses of PBSC, experience delay in blood count recovery adversely affecting outcome. In this multi-center European clinical effort, patients who are transplanted with inadequate PBSC doses will also receive Aastrom's SC-I bone marrow stem cells. The SC-I process produces large quantities of therapeutic bone marrow stem cells from a small volume of bone marrow. The bone marrow is collected from the patient in a brief outpatient procedure under mild anesthesia. For poor-mobilizing cancer patients, this minimally invasive procedure represents an adjunct for stem cell transplantation helping to restore blood counts and immune function.

About Zellera AG

Zellera AG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., located in Berlin, Germany. Zellera serves as the sales and marketing operational base for Aastrom's products in Europe.

About Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Aastrom is a leader in the development of proprietary cell therapeutic products based on its dual-technology platforms: patented "single-pass perfusion" providing cells with excellent biological function, and patented GMP-compliant system automation facilitating the delivery of cells for therapeutic use into medical practice. These technologies are integrated into the AastromReplicell(TM) System that is designed to uniquely standardize and automate the processes involved in producing high quality therapeutic cells. Aastrom is developing a range of cell therapeutic products, including the Dendricell(TM) products for use in the dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine market, and the OC-I bone progenitor cell production product for the treatment of degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The AastromReplicell(TM) System, the SC-I bone marrow and the CB-I cord blood cell production products have previously received CE Mark approval necessary for European marketing, and are in late-stage U.S. clinical trials. These products are not available for sale at this time in the U.S., except for research or investigational use. In addition, the DC-I and DCV-I dendritic cell production products have recently received CE Mark approval necessary for European marketing, and are available for sale to the research market in the U.S.



Please visit our website at http://www.aastrom.com .

This document contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements regarding product development objectives, planned clinical trials and their results, potential product applications and potential advantages of the AastromReplicell(TM) System and related cell therapy kits, which involve certain risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are also identified through use of the words "intend," "expect," "should," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results may differ significantly from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may result in differences are the results obtained from clinical trial and development activities, research activities being conducted by others, regulatory approval requirements, the availability of resources, competitive developments and the allocation of resources among different potential uses. These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Aastrom's Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



CONTACTS: Kris M. Maly Noonan/Russo Communications, Inc.
Investor Relations Manager Phone: [phone]
Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Glenn Silver, ext. 271 (media)
Phone: [phone] David Walsey, ext. 230 (investors)

Holger Beckmann
Managing Director
Zellera AG
Berlin, Germany
Phone: 49-30-2065-9165

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SOURCE Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.