Positive data from Antisoma's AS1404 lung cancer trial presented at conference

New tumour progression findings complement data showing extended survival
London, UK, and Prague, Czech Republic: 8 November 2006 - Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM, US OTC: ATSMY) announces that the final data from its phase II trial of AS1404 in non-small cell lung cancer are presented today at the EORTC-NCI-AACR meeting in Prague by Professor Joachim von Pawel of Asklepios Hospital, Gauting, Germany, one of the leading investigators in the trial. Final time to tumour progression data are included in the presentation along with the updated survival and safety data released during October.

Key findings from the trial are:

* Patients who received AS1404 in addition to standard chemotherapy had a median survival 5.2 months longer (14.0 vs 8.8 months) than that of patients who received standard chemotherapy alone. This is one of the largest differences in survival ever reported from a trial combining a novel agent with first-line chemotherapy for lung cancer. Addition of AS1404 reduced the risk of death by 27%.

* Patients who received AS1404 in addition to standard chemotherapy had 23% increases in both median (5.4 vs 4.4 months) and mean (6.3 vs 5.1 months) time to tumour progression compared with patients on standard chemotherapy, according to an updated and final assessment by trial investigators. This analysis was conducted after follow-up of all patients for at least 12 months and shows a greater delay in progression with AS1404 than that reported at ASCO in June based on interim data from the trial.

AS1404 or it's chemical name, dimethylxanthenone acetic acid, may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It works by intiating cytokine release (manily TNF), that recruits other immune cells to the tumor. The TNF also causes necrosis of the surrounding blood vessels that feed the tumor, leading to tumor reduction.
Preliminary findings from a phase II trial in non-small cell lung cancer show that patients receiving AS1404 in addition to standard chemotherapy have a higher frequency of tumour responses than patients receiving chemotherapy alone, while side effects are consistent in the two groups.

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