Access Pharmaceuticals Presents New Data on the Company's Cobalamin™ Technology at an International Polymer Therapeutics Symposium

DALLAS, May 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (BULLETIN BOARD: ACCP) announced today that the company gave oral and poster presentations on its Cobalamin(TM) technology at the International Symposium on Polymer Therapeutics: Laboratory to Clinical Practice, taking place from May 26-28 in Valencia, Spain. The presentations are entitled "Vitamin B12-Polymer Conjugates as Constructs for Targeted Tumor Delivery and for Oral Drug Delivery."

Cobalamin is Access' proprietary technology based upon the use of vitamin B12 for targeted delivery of drugs to disease sites and for oral drug delivery of drugs that otherwise have poor oral bioavailability. The presentations provide new data showing that Cobalamin-coated nanoparticles can provide a substantial lowering of blood glucose levels in an animal model of diabetes when compared with unformulated insulin given orally, and glucose-lowering effect which has much greater duration when compared with using insulin given subcutaneously. In addition, data are presented which shows that Cobalamin- targeted polymer-linked daunorubicin reduces tumor volume following intravenous administration in an animal model, providing superior efficacy when compared to polymer-daunorubicin without the targeting group, and substantially superior efficacy to daunorubicin alone.

"These new data provide strong evidence that our Cobalamin technology can be very effective in two important areas of drug development, and demonstrate that Cobalamin technology has the potential to provide a pipeline of new products in the future," commented David P. Nowotnik, PhD, Access' Senior Vice President of R&D, who presented the data at the Symposium. Dr. Nowotnik continued, "Development of an oral insulin formulation that can be moved forward rapidly into clinical development remains one of main R&D objectives." Access is also developing a Cobalamin oral formulation for human growth hormone in a research program sponsored by a major pharmaceuticals company.

About Access:

Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes propriety products for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. Access' products include ProLindac(TM), currently in Phase 2 clinical testing of patients with ovarian cancer, and MuGard(TM) for the management of patients with mucositis. The company also has other advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin(TM)-mediated targeted delivery and oral drug delivery, its proprietary nanopolymer delivery technology based on the natural vitamin B12 uptake mechanism; Angiolix(R), a humanized monoclonal antibody which acts as an anti-angiogenesis factor and is targeted to breast cancer; Prodrax(R), a non-toxic prodrug which is activated in the hypoxic zones of solid tumors to kill cancer cells; and Alchemix, a chemotherapeutic agent that combines multiple modes of action to overcome drug resistance. Access is also developing Phenylbutyrate ("PB"), an HDAC inhibitor and differentiating agent currently a Phase 2 clinical candidate. For additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our website at http://www.accesspharma.com/ .

This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include those relating to: our ability to close the financing transaction, early results from our clinical trial, Access' plans to continue and initiate clinical trials, the value of its products in the market, its ability to achieve clinical and commercial success and its ability to successfully develop marketed products. These statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not limited to Access' need to obtain additional financing in order to continue the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in Access' Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed by Access with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Stephen B. Thompson, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-214-905-5100; or investors, Donald C. Weinberger, or media, Alisa Steinberg, both of Wolfe Axelrod Weinberger Assoc. LLC, +1-212-370-4500, for Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Web site: http://www.accesspharma.com/

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