Accium BioSciences to Provide Microdosing Services to Affinium Pharmaceuticals in Support of a Biodefense Research Contract

Business Wire, Feb 12, 2007

SEATTLE -- Accium BioSciences, Inc., has been awarded a contract to provide regulatory (Exploratory-IND) and analytical (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) services to Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. under a U.S. biodefense grant.

Accium and Affinium will conduct microdosing studies on up to four lead drug candidates that are part of a new class of antibiotics for the treatment of diseases caused by serious pathogens including Francisella tularensis, a potential biological warfare and bioterrorism agent. Affinium was recently awarded a two-year $4.8 million research contract from the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency of the Department of Defense. Under the terms of the agreement with Affinium, Accium will provide study design, Exploratory-INDA preparation and submission, clinical project management and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) analytical services.

"We are pleased that Affinium has selected Accium as the contractor for this exciting program. We look forward to characterizing the human pharmacokinetics of Affinium's drug candidates using the Exploratory-IND approach," said Dr. Glenn Kawasaki, CEO of Accium.

"Accium has impressed us with their diligent efforts to develop a cost-effective and streamlined plan to perform microdosing studies in the U.S. We are confident in Accium's capabilities and that their expertise will help us select a lead candidate to support this important Department of Defense project," said Owen Roberts, CFO of Affinium.

About Accium BioSciences, Inc.

Accium BioSciences, Inc. is a specialty CRO providing early drug development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry clients. The company operates a full-service Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) laboratory facility in North America. Services include protocol design, project management, regulatory consulting and ultra-sensitive analytical services to GLP standards. Accium's experts enable Microdosing (Exploratory-IND) studies and low-radiation PK ADME phase I clinical trials.

About Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Toronto, Ontario, is a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel anti-infective medicines stemming from the bacterial fatty acid synthesis (FAS) II pathway. Affinium's lead clinical development compound is a highly potent small molecule antibiotic for both oral and intravenous treatment of staphylococcal infections including drug-resistant MRSA. Additionally, Affinium utilizes its unique proprietary compounds and its knowledge of fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes to develop additional novel antibiotics to address a variety of therapeutic needs.