SAN DIEGO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Potent Adjuvant is a Toll-Like Receptor 3 (TLR3) Agonist

Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation (TSX: NVN) today announced that the company has developed a proprietary vaccine adjuvant, Poly IC-Poly Arginine (Poly-ICR), that has broad potential for use in both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080303/LAM023LOGO)

Poly-ICR is a Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist that when combined with a disease-specific antigen can induce both cytotoxic (T-cell) and antibody (B-cell) immune responses against that antigen. Cytotoxic T-cells, also referred to as CD8 T-cells, are required to target and eliminate pathogen-infected or cancerous cells. Antibodies, or B-cells, are required to protect against an infection caused by a pathogen. Poly-ICR, therefore, has potential utility in both the therapeutic and prophylactic areas of immunotherapy and vaccine development. This novel and potent immunomodulator works with the immune system to induce dendritic cell maturation, along with a broad range of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, to facilitate the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases or cancer.

Data generated using Poly-ICR, in combination with a tumor-associated antigen, have demonstrated that the addition of the adjuvant potently increases the antigen-specific CD8 T-cell levels, while both inducing regression of tumors and preventing tumor growth in mouse models. Poly-ICR is differentiated from other Poly IC compositions by its high stability and potency in human sera, as well as its consistency in physical-chemical properties. Nventa has successfully manufactured research and development lots of Poly-ICR and expects that its current manufacturing process can be used to produce future cGMP material.

"We believe that Poly-ICR will add tremendous value to Nventa's internal pipeline and to the programs of vaccine developers worldwide, as we expect significant demand for Poly-ICR in the rapidly growing vaccine field, particularly where access to previously available TLR-based adjuvants has become restrictive," said Gregory M. McKee, president and chief executive officer at Nventa. "The adjuvant's exceptional preclinical profile suggests that it may elicit robust, antigen-specific cellular immune responses in humans, enhancing the effect of both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines against targeted antigens and pathogens."

Nventa intends to incorporate Poly-ICR into its future CoVal(TM) therapeutic compound programs. The company is also currently in discussions with multiple vaccine developers worldwide and intends to grant access to Poly-ICR to such potential partners through license agreements.

About Nventa Corporation:

Nventa is developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections and cancer, with a focus on diseases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The corporation is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NVN. For more information about Nventa, please visit http://www.nventacorp.com.

This press release contains statements which may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation or forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements or information may include financial and other projections as well as statements regarding the company's future plans, objectives, performance, revenues, growth, profits, operating expenses or the company's underlying assumptions. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements or information. Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements or information are only predictions, and that the company's actual future results or performance may be materially different.

Forward-looking statements or information in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements or information concerning: Poly-ICR's potential for use in both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines; Poly-ICR's ability to induce both cytotoxic and antibody immune responses; our expectation that our manufacturing process can be used to produce cGMP Poly-ICR; and our intention to incorporate Poly-ICR into our future CoVal(TM) therapeutic compound programs.

Such forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, events or developments to be materially different from results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such factors include, among others, that we may not be able to raise required capital; that we may not procure partners that use Poly-ICR in their vaccines; that approvals by government agencies such as the FDA that are needed before products can be tested in clinical trials may not be obtained in a timely manner or at all or will be conditioned in a manner that would impair our ability to advance Poly-ICR; that Poly-ICR may not be found safe and effective after extensive clinical trials; our dependence on third parties to manufacture Poly-ICR; that our manufacturing processes may not be validated for use in producing cGMP materials; that we may not retain key personnel; and other factors as described in detail in our filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at http://www.sedar.com.

Assumptions underlying our expectations regarding forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release include, among others, that we will raise enough capital, on reasonable terms and in a timely manner; that we will procure partners that use Poly-ICR in their vaccines; that we will obtain the necessary regulatory approvals related to Poly-ICR in a timely manner; that Poly-ICR will be found safe and effective after extensive clinical trials; that we will be able to engage third party manufactures who successfully manufacture Poly-ICR on reasonable terms and in a timely manner; that our manufacturing processes will be validated; and that we will retain our key personnel.

In the event that any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect, or in the event that we are impacted by any of the risks identified above, we may not be able to continue in our business as planned.

For a complete discussion of the assumptions, risks and uncertainties related to our business, you are encouraged to review our filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including our 2007 Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based on our current expectations as of the date hereof and we disclaim any intention or obligation to revise or update such forward-looking statements and information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

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

Donna Slade, Director, Investor Relations of Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation, +1-858-202-4945, dslade@nventacorp.com; or media, Tim Brons of Vida Communication, +1-415-675-7402, tbrons@vidacommunication.com; or Michael Moore of The Equicom Group, +1-416-815-0700, ext. 241, mmoore@equicomgroup.com, both for Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation; Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080303/LAM023LOGO, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com