Rush University Medical Center Presents Positive MuGard Clinical Data at the Oncology Nursing Society 38th Annual Congress

DALLAS and NEW YORK, April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTCBB: ACCP), an emerging biopharmaceutical company, announced that Carrie Daly, MS, RN, APN, AOCN of Rush University Medical Center presented data from a MuGard study, performed by the Institution, at last week's Oncology Nursing Society Annual Congress in Washington, DC.  Daly's presentation titled, "Outsmarting Oral Mucositis" summarized results from 128 cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Patients that were compliant in using MuGard experienced significant clinical benefits including reduced pain, reduced use of pain medication, and reduced weight loss. Importantly, use of MuGard resulted in a significant reduction in the number of patients that progressed to Grade 3 oral mucositis as measured by the NCI OM scale. The presentation highlighted the clinical benefit experienced when implementing the use of MuGard in patients who have undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.  

Commenting on the excitement surrounding the ONS presentation of the MuGard study, Jeffrey Davis, CEO of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. stated,"Access was pleased to see the great interest in Carrie Daly's presentation at the ONS Congress this week, and the significant interest and positive feedback on MuGard that we received at our exhibition booth.  The benefits of MuGard shown in the results from this study conducted by Rush are both important clinically and from a pharmacoeconomic perspective, but most importantly from a patient quality-of-life view.  There is a critical need to keep patients comfortable and well nourished during their cancer treatment, to ensure patient compliance and to positively impact clinical outcomes.  These results are consistent with results presented from other clinical studies supporting MuGard's ability to provide significant clinical benefit in the management of oral mucositis."

Carrie Daly, MS, RN, APN, AOCN concluded her presentation commenting, "MuGard has been adopted as the standard of care for Radiation Therapy patients at Rush University Medical Center that are at risk of developing mucositis as a result of cancer therapy. MuGard proves to be a critical tool in treating and preventing oral mucositis in our cancer patient population. Patients that used MuGard and were compliant with patient instructions had a significant clinical benefit, with lower grades of oral mucositis, reduced pain, and reduced analgesic use and were able to stay better nourished and maintain their weight."

The "Outsmarting Oral Mucositis" presentation poster can be viewed by visiting the MuGard website homepage at www.MuGard.com.

About Carrie Daly, MS, RN, APN, AOCN:

Carrie is the Chief Nurse at Rush University Medical Center's Radiation Oncology department.  Daly has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) for more than 20 years and a member of the Radiation Oncology Special Interest Group through ONS.  Having received excellence accolades like the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Nurse Excellence Award (2009) and ONS Excellence in Radiation Oncology Nursing (2005), Carrie goes above and beyond the normal standards of nursing practice.  Carrie is also a member of the Cancer Committee and Cancer Survivorship Committee at Rush University Medical Center.   

About ONS:

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a professional organization of over 35,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research, and administration in oncology nursing. Each year, renowned nursing leaders and dedicated nursing professionals gather at Congress to take advantage of the dialogue it offers—the one-on-one, face-to-face networking and conversation that will give you insights on improving your practice at home or advancing your career. After four days in the company of thousands of other oncology nurses, you'll leave with exciting new ideas about cancer care.

About Access:

Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes proprietary products for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. Access' products include MuGard™ (www.MuGard.com), which has received FDA-marketing clearance for the management of patients with mucositis, and ProLindac™, a second generation DACH platinum drug. The Company also has other advanced drug delivery technologies including CobaCyte™-mediated targeted delivery and CobOral-oral drug delivery, its proprietary nanopolymer delivery technology based on the natural vitamin B12 uptake mechanism.  For additional information on Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our website at 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 cash burn rate, clinical trial plans and timelines and clinical results for ProLindac, MuGard and Cobalamin, our ability to achieve clinical and commercial success and our 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 Reports on Form 10-K and other reports filed by Access with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Company and Media Contact:
Christine Berni
Director of Investor Relations
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(212) 786-6208

SOURCE Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.