Accelerated clinical development plan for HHT

[Guest guest]

Looks like they will be studying the effects of Ceflatonin against T315I -

interesting...

ChemGenex Announces Strategy for Registration-Directed Clinical Trials for

Ceflatonin®

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX:CXS) (NASDAQ:CXSP), based in

Melbourne, Australia and Menlo Park, Ca, USA, today announced its

accelerated clinical development plan for its lead anti-cancer therapeutic,

Ceflatonin® (homoharringtonine, HHT).

The initiation of the first of two registration-directed Phase 2/3 trials is

scheduled for the third quarter of 2005. The first trial will target chronic

myeloid leukemia (CML) accelerated phase patients who are resistant to

high-dose Gleevec®. The single agent Phase 2/3 trial will initially be

conducted in six leading European cancer centers, and is expected to expand

to incorporate cancer centers in the U.S. in Q1, 2006. The trial

incorporates the benefits of the company's recent in-licensing agreement

with Stragen Pharma and builds on growing clinical evidence that

Ceflatonin® has significant potential as a treatment for CML patients who

are resistant to Gleevec® and other experimental bcr-abl kinase

inhibitors. It is anticipated that the enrollment in this trial of up to 85

patients will be completed in Q4, 2006.

A second single agent Phase 2/3 clinical trial with Ceflatonin® to treat

CML patients with a specific gene mutation that makes them resistant to

tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Gleevec® (the T315I bcr-abl mutation)

is planned to commence in the U.S. and Europe in Q1, 2006, and will recruit

up to 85 patients. This study will be initiated based on evidence from

recent Phase 1/2 studies that HHT has activity in CML patients who have

developed bcr-abl point mutations associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor

resistance.

ChemGenex has ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials under its U.S. IND at the M.D.

Cancer Center in Houston, Texas (Ceflatonin® in combination with

Gleevec® in CML and Ceflatonin® as a single agent in myelodysplastic

syndrome (MDS)).

" This is a major advance in our clinical development of Ceflatonin®, " said

Dr. Greg Collier, chief executive officer and managing director of ChemGenex

Pharmaceuticals. " The new trial designs offer considerable advantages; we

have developed protocols for the sub-cutaneous, rather than intravenous

dosing of patients and we have new data demonstrating synergy when used

in-combination with Gleevec®. As the number of CML patients developing

bcr-abl point mutations associated with resistance to tyrosine kinase

inhibitors such as Gleevec® increases, there will be considerable need for

treatments such as Ceflatonin® that combat the disease via a different

mechanism. "

ChemGenex has updated its company overview presentation to include the new

clinical strategy for Ceflatonin®. The presentation can be accessed from

the company's home page (www.chemgenex.com).

About ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited (www.chemgenex.com)

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals is a gene-based pharmaceutical company dedicated

to improving the lives of patients by developing therapeutics in the areas

of oncology, diabetes, obesity, and depression. ChemGenex currently has two

compounds in Phase 2 clinical trials, Ceflatonin® for leukemia and

Quinamed® for solid tumors, and has a significant portfolio of

anti-cancer, diabetes, obesity and depression programs. The company's

diabetes and obesity program is partnered with Merck KGaA and the depression

program is partnered with Vernalis plc. ChemGenex currently trades on the

Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol " CXS " and the NASDAQ exchange

under the symbol " CXSP. "

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Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements

involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause the

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including, among others, risks or uncertainties associated with the

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products in the clinical pipeline, the ability to advance promising

therapeutics through clinical trials, the ability to establish our fully

integrated technologies, the ability to enter into additional collaborations

and strategic alliances and expand current collaborations and obtain

milestone payments, the suitability of internally discovered genes for drug

development, the ability of the company to meet its financial requirements,

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limitations on the company's technology, the market for the company's

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