ADVENTRX Receives Brand Name Acceptance for ANX-530

SAN DIEGO, March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ANX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the proposed proprietary name "Exelbine™" for the Company's product candidate ANX-530 (vinorelbine injectable emulsion).

"We are pleased with the FDA's response to our proprietary name request and look forward to continued regulatory progress on ANX-530," said Brian M. Culley, Chief Executive Officer of ADVENTRX.

Following completion of its review process, the FDA concluded that "Exelbine" is acceptable provided the information presented by ADVENTRX regarding the safety of interchanging ANX-530 with other vinorelbine injectable products is confirmed during review of an ANX-530 New Drug Application (NDA).

As previously announced, the Company submitted an NDA for ANX-530 to the FDA in December 2009.  In March 2010, the Company announced that it had received a refusal-to-file letter from the FDA regarding its ANX-530 NDA submission.  In the letter, the FDA indicated that the data included in the December 2009 NDA submission from the intended commercial manufacturing site was insufficient to support a commercially-viable expiration dating period.  The FDA identified only this one chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) reason for the refusal to file.  ADVENTRX has requested a face-to-face meeting with the FDA to understand its requirements and define the path to a successful filing of an ANX-530 NDA at the earliest possible time.

About ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals

ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company whose product candidates are designed to improve the performance of existing cancer treatments by addressing limitations associated principally with their safety and use.  More information can be found on the Company's web site at www.adventrx.com.  

Forward Looking Statements

ADVENTRX cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and assumptions that, if they materialize or do not prove to be accurate, could cause ADVENTRX's results to differ materially from historical results or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that FDA determines that there is a safety concern related to interchanging ANX-530 with other vinorelbine injectable products; the risk that the FDA's requirements for an ANX-530 NDA to be accepted for review do not justify continued development of ANX-530; ADVENTRX's dependence on the success of ANX-530, and increased uncertainty as to whether ANX-530 will receive regulatory approval or be commercialized successfully; the potential that FDA may not accept a resubmitted ANX-530 NDA for review, or that the bioequivalence data and other information included in the ANX-530 NDA may not adequately support bioequivalence with Navelbine; the potential that changes made in transferring the manufacturing process for ANX-530 may result in a lack of comparability between the commercial product and the material used in clinical trials, and that FDA may require ADVENTRX to perform additional non-clinical or clinical studies; the potential for FDA to impose other requirements to be completed before or after approval of the ANX-530 NDA; the risk that ADVENTRX will have insufficient capital to support its operations during the FDA review of an ANX-530 NDA, should a resubmitted ANX-530 be accepted; the risk that ADVENTRX will pursue development activities at levels or on timelines, or will incur unexpected expenses, that shortens the period through which its operating funds will sustain it; the risk that ADVENTRX will be unable to raise sufficient additional capital to commercialize ANX-530, if an ANX-530 NDA is approved; and other risks and uncertainties more fully described in ADVENTRX's press releases and periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ADVENTRX's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available at www.sec.gov.  

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date when made.  ADVENTRX does not intend to revise or update any forward-looking statement set forth in this press release to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it was made.

SOURCE ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.