Replies to post #177541 on Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

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Why edit out the Year from the news release? This PR was released in 2004.

Data Presented at Vascular Targeting Agent Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts

TUSTIN, Calif., Nov 8, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM) announced today that Philip Thorpe, Ph.D., a member of its scientific advisory board, gave the keynote presentation at the Vascular Targeting Agents conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Thorpe's address highlighted a growing body of pre-clinical evidence supporting the development of Vascular Targeting Agents (VTAs), which are designed to seek and destroy pre-existing blood vessels within cancerous tumors by cutting off the tumor's blood supply.

Also presented was new pre-clinical data generated by Dr. Jin He at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas demonstrating that radiation therapy significantly increases the anti-tumor activity of the Tarvacin™ equivalent named 3G4. In animals treated with 3G4 plus external beam radiation, tumor growth was reduced by 98% as compared with 85% for radiation therapy alone or 67% with 3G4 alone.

VTAs represent a therapeutic approach that is distinct from the more widely known angiogenesis inhibitors, which slow tumor growth by stopping new blood vessel formation. In contrast, VTAs seek and destroy pre-existing tumor blood vessels within cancerous tumors by cutting off the tumor's blood supply. Dr. Thorpe holds the Serena S. Simmons Distinguished Chair in Cancer Immunopharmacology at Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

"VTAs are progressing through pre-clinical development and into clinical trials," said Dr. Thorpe. "This conference is unique in that it brings together experts in all of the various approaches -- we can discuss the research in person, learn from each other and take new ideas coming out of that mix back to the lab and, ultimately, to the clinic."

The inaugural conference, Vascular Targeting Agents: Therapeutic & Diagnostic Development, is taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA on November 8 and 9, 2004. The conference is being sponsored by the Strategic Research Institute and will include presentations on the most promising candidates in preclinical and clinical development.