[Cynthia]

The following is an article put out by the drug company that talks a bit more about how patients with different Her2+ levels reacted to the vaccine in the early trials.




Low HER2 Expressing Breast Cancer Patients Respond Preferentially to
Apthera's NeuVax(tm)

Recurrence Data Presented at AACR


Scottsdale, Arizona - April 14, 2008 - Results were announced today from
analysis of a randomized safety and efficacy clinical trial studying
NeuVax (E75) in the adjuvant treatment of early-stage (node-positive and
high risk node-negative), HER2-positive breast cancer. Data presented at
the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in
San Diego showed that patients with low-expressing HER2 tumors
experienced decreased breast cancer recurrence and no mortality to-date
following treatment (Abstract #2545, Monday, April 14, 2008, 3:40 p.m.
PDT).
Dr. Alton Charles Morgan, President and CEO of Apthera stated "These
results are encouraging for HER2 low-expressing breast cancer patients
who have few treatment options in the adjuvant setting and are not
typically eligible for Herceptin(r) therapy."
The Cancer Vaccine Development Program (CVDP) at Brooke Army Medical
Center in San Antonio, Texas conducted a subset analysis review of 163
patients with breast cancer enrolled in the NeuVax trial to determine
whether the level of HER2 expression affected response. Of the patients
assessed, 92 underwent treatment. Within the treatment group, 56 (66
percent) were defined as HER2 low-expressors. The control group included
44 (67 percent) low-expressors.
Low HER2 expressing patients maintained circulating, E75 peptide
reactive T-cells after 1 year whereas patients with HER2 over-expressing
tumors returned to pre-immunization levels. At a median follow-up of 30
months, disease recurrence was substantially reduced for treated
patients with low HER2 expression. Low-expressors by IHC in the
treatment arm of the study experienced 8 percent recurrence, compared
with 21 percent for patients in the control arm. Furthermore, the
mortality rate among low-expressors by IHC with recurrent disease was 0
percent among treated patients, versus 20 percent among controls
(p=0.04).
Taken together these findings may be significant for the greater than 50
percent of breast cancer patients whose tumors fall into the HER2
low-expressing category and who are not typically eligible for Herceptin
treatment.
About Apthera
Apthera, Inc. is developing a pipeline of peptide-based immunotherapies
for cancers that express HER2/neu, a well-validated and established
oncology target. Apthera is privately held with headquarters in
Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about the Company visit
www.apthera.com <http://www.apthera.com> .
About NeuVax
NeuVax is a HER2/neu peptide-based T-cell immunotherapy aimed at
preventing disease recurrence and prolonging survival in cancer patients
that have tumors expressing the HER2/neu oncoprotein. To date, clinical
study results have demonstrated that NeuVax significantly reduces the
rate of cancer recurrence while showing minimal side effects.


This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements are not historical facts and are subject to risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results and the timing of certain
events to differ materially from those set forth in or implied herein
including, without limitation, risks associated with clinical
development, regulatory approvals, product commercialization,
intellectual property claims litigation and other risks associated with
the Company's proposed activities.


Contact Apthera:
Gail Thurston
VP, Corporate and Business Development
(480) 882-8841
gthurston@apthera.com <mailto:gthurston@apthera.com>
www.apthera.com <http://www.apthera.com>