Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: LXRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced that Dr. Philip Brown, senior vice president of clinical development at Lexicon, delivered an oral presentation at the annual meeting of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS). The presentation summarized Phase 1 clinical trial results for LX1032, Lexicon’s orally-delivered small molecule drug candidate for managing gastrointestinal symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome. The clinical studies, conducted to date in healthy volunteers, indicated that the drug candidate reduced serotonin levels in humans as predicted by Lexicon’s mouse models and preclinical research. Lexicon is planning to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of LX1032 in patients with carcinoid syndrome in the first quarter of 2009.

A copy of the presentation will be available on the company’s corporate website at http://www.lexpharma.com.

About ENETS

The ENETS conference is a medical conference focused on diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors including carcinoid. The meeting brings together leading neuroendocrine tumor experts from around the world in such fields as oncology, pathology, radiology, nuclear medicine, endocrinology, surgery and gastroenterology. The 2009 ENETS conference runs from March 5-7 in Granada, Spain.

About Carcinoid Syndrome and LX1032

Carcinoid syndrome is a chronic condition that is the result of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors that usually originate from the gastrointestinal tract. These tumors secrete large amounts of serotonin, which can cause a variety of symptoms including severe diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. LX1032 acts to reduce serotonin production by inhibiting tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), a key enzyme in the synthesis of serotonin.

LX1032 is being developed in a product development collaboration with Symphony Capital Partners, L.P. and its co-investors.

About Lexicon

Lexicon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease. Lexicon currently has five drug candidates in development for autoimmune disease, carcinoid syndrome, diabetes, glaucoma and irritable bowel syndrome, all of which were discovered by the company’s research team. The company has used its proprietary gene knockout technology to identify more than 100 promising drug targets. Lexicon has focused drug discovery efforts on these biologically-validated targets to create its extensive pipeline of clinical and preclinical programs. For additional information about Lexicon and its programs, please visit http://www.lexpharma.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” including statements relating to Lexicon’s clinical development of LX1032 and the potential therapeutic and commercial potential of LX1032. This press release also contains forward-looking statements relating to Lexicon’s growth and future operating results, discovery and development of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including those relating to Lexicon’s ability to successfully conduct clinical development of LX1032 and preclinical and clinical development of its other potential drug candidates, advance additional candidates into preclinical and clinical development, obtain necessary regulatory approvals, achieve its operational objectives, obtain patent protection for its discoveries and establish strategic alliances, as well as additional factors relating to manufacturing, intellectual property rights, and the therapeutic or commercial value of its drug candidates, that may cause Lexicon’s actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Information identifying such important factors is contained under “Factors Affecting Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in Lexicon’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lexicon undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The findings in two articles published in this week´s edition of The Lancet, indicate that high quality surgery following a short period of radiation therapy is the best treatment for patients with operable rectal cancer.

Surgery is the standard treatment for rectal cancer, however the removal of the tumor alone does not eliminate the risk of the cancer recurring in the same area. Recurrence is difficult to treat and incurable in most patients. Earlier research showed that radiotherapy and chemotherapy, before or after surgery, reduce the local reappearance of the cancer. However, radiotherapy is an expensive treatment and is linked to the increased risk of other lasting complications, such as impaired bowel function, incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. For that reason, radiotherapy should be targeted to patients showing a high risk of local recurrence, such as those with involvement of the circumferential resection margin.

In order to obtain additional verification, Professor Robert Steele and his team carried out the Medical Research Council (MRC) CR07 and the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) C016 trial. This study evaluated the choice in using chemo radiotherapy in patients who had involvement of the circumferential resection margin, with one week sessions of radiotherapy prior to surgery. From March 1998 to August 2005, 1,350 patients with rectal cancer were recruited from the UK, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Patients were given randomly five daily treatments of radiotherapy before surgery, or twenty five treatments of chemo radiotherapy after surgery, to those with high risk of local recurrence.

After three years, findings concluded that in the pre-operative radiotherapy group, 4.4 percent of the patients had local recurrence of the cancer in comparison to 10.6 percent in the post-operative group. At three years, the probability of disease-free survival was of 77.5 percent in the pre-operative radiotherapy patients and of 72 percent in the post-operative patients. The general survival rate did not vary considerably among the groups (330 patients died; 157 in the pre-operative radiotherapy group, 173 in the selective post-operative chemo radiotherapy group).

Total mesorectal excision is one of the latest advances in surgical techniques that have enhanced patient outcomes. Phil Quirke, University of Leeds, UK, and team evaluated the consequences of circumferential resection margin and the plane of surgery (amount of tissue removed around the tumor) achieved during surgery on local recurrence of cancer. The study included 1,156 patients in the MRC CR07 and NCIC-CTG C016 trial.

Results indicated that 11 percent (128) of the patients had involvement of the circumferential resection margin, and the plane of surgery was ranked as good (mesorectal) in 52 percent (604), intermediate (intramesorectal) in 34 percent (398), and poor (muscularis propria plane) in 13 percent (154).

Low recurrence rates were related to a negative circumferential resection margin and a superior plane of surgery. After three years, there was local recurrence for 6 percent of patients with a negative circumferential margin, in comparison to 17 percent of patients with a positive circumferential margin. Moreover, 4 percent of patients in the mesorectal group had local recurrence, 7 percent of patients in the intramesorectal group, and 13 percent of patients in the muscularis propria plane group. Still, short-course radiotherapy prior to surgery lowered recurrence by nearly half, for any plane of surgery achieved.

“At present, only 50% of rectal cancer surgery is done in the mesorectal plane, suggesting that a further decrease in local recurrence rates might be obtained by improving the plane of surgery achieved…[This could] be achieved through education and surgical tuition”, the authors write.

Dr Robert Madoff, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, in a supplementary remark, says these findings confirm: “That preoperative radiation can mitigate but not eliminate the adverse effects of imperfect surgery. The best outcomes occurred when preoperative radiation was followed by optimum surgery…The next challenge is to understand which patient needs what therapy to maximise his or her chance for cure.”

Consuming two or more drinks per day could increase a person’s risk of pancreatic cancer by about 22 percent, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Our findings support multiple nutrition recommendations that men should limit intake to no more than two alcoholic beverages per day and women should limit intake to no more than one,” said lead author Jeanine M. Genkinger, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, four ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled liquor.

Genkinger and colleagues conducted a pooled analysis of the primary data from 14 research studies, for a population that included 862,664 individuals. Researchers identified 2,187 individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the study.

“This is one of the largest studies ever to look at dietary factors in relation to pancreatic cancer risk,” said Genkinger.

If individuals consumed 30 or more grams of alcohol per day, compared with no alcohol per day, their risk of pancreatic cancer increased by 22 percent.

No difference was observed by type of alcohol, according to Genkinger.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR’s most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Additional study suggests drinking alcohol in early adulthood may increase reflux esophagitis risk

Although the relationship between alcohol and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is well established, studies investigating the association between alcohol intake and reflux esophagitis (RE), Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) have reported inconsistent findings. Furthermore, little is known regarding the effect of alcohol on BE, especially related to alcohol types.

Two recent studies published in Gastroenterology further our understanding of these illnesses. Gastroenterology is the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

Education Status Is Significantly Inversely Associated with BE Risk

A new diagnosis of BE is associated with alcohol types, and the effects are modified by the presence of vitamin supplement use, according to a new study in Gastroenterology. The observed associations are independent of demographic and life-style factors that are related to choice of alcoholic beverages, including vitamin supplement use. In addition, higher education level is inversely related to the risk.

People with BE have a 30 to 125 fold increased risk of developing EAC compared to the general population. The incidence of EAC has increased by more than 500 percent in the last three decades, more rapidly than any other malignancy in the U.S. The rate of increase is most predominant among Caucasian males, suggesting that environmental or lifestyle factors may play important roles in the change in incidence.

“The identification of risk factors for BE may provide information on early events in the carcinogenic pathway for EAC that could lead to effective intervention strategies,” said Ai Kubo, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente and lead author of the study.

This study is the first community or population-based study in the U.S. to evaluate alcohol and socio-demographic factors as risk factors for BE. Using a case-control study within the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership, patients with a new diagnosis of BE (n=320) between 2002 and 2005 were matched to persons with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD; n=316) and to population controls (n=317). Information was collected using validated questionnaires during direct in-person interviews; analyses used multivariate unconditional logistic regression.

Total alcohol use was not significantly associated with the risk of BE, although stratification by beverage type showed an inverse association for wine drinkers compared to nondrinkers (seven+ drinks wine/week versus none: OR=0.44, 95 percent CI (0.20-0.99); multivariate analysis). Among population controls, those who preferred wine were more likely to have college degrees and regularly take vitamin supplements than those who preferred beer or liquor. Adjustment for these factors or GERD symptoms did not eliminate the inverse association between wine consumption and BE. Education status was significantly inversely associated with the risk of BE.

“Future studies examining the interaction between vitamin supplement and alcohol types and how socioeconomic status may affect GERD and BE are needed,” added Dr. Kubo.

Total Alcohol Consumption at 21 Is Significantly Associated with RE

Alcohol consumption in early adulthood may lead to the development of reflux esophagitis (RE), according to a new study in Gastroenterology. However, more recent alcohol consumption does not appear to confer any increased risk of RE, BE or EAC. In fact, wine consumption may reduce the risk of these esophageal disorders.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms are common in Western societies with 10 to 20 percent of adults experiencing at least weekly symptoms. GER is the main predisposing risk factor for erosive RE, BE and EAC; alcohol may increase GER by causing relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Using data collected as part of an all-Ireland case-control study, the FINBAR (Factors INfluencing the Barrett’s Adenocarcinoma Relationship) study, information relating to alcohol consumption (at age 21 and five years before the interview date) was collected from 230 RE, 224 BE and 227 EAC patients and 260 frequency-matched population controls. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare alcohol consumption in the three case groups to controls with adjustment for potential confounders. The FINBAR study is one of the largest case-control studies to date to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and RE, BE and EAC using the same control group.

Population controls reporting GER symptoms were less likely than controls without symptoms to drink alcohol five years before the interview date (OR 0.44, 95 percent CI 0.20-0.99). No associations were observed between total alcohol consumption five years before the interview date and RE, BE or EAC (ORs, 95 percent CI: 1.26, 0.78-2.05, 0.72, 0.43-1.21 and 0.75, 0.46-1.22, respectively). Wine was inversely associated with RE (OR 0.45, 95 percent CI 0.27-0.75). Total alcohol consumption at age 21 was significantly associated with RE (OR 2.24, 95 percent CI 1.35-3.74), but not with BE or EAC (ORs, 95 percent CI: 1.06, 0.63-1.79 and 1.27, 0.77-2.10, respectively).

These preliminary findings warrant further research. Future studies should consider the influence of reflux symptoms and the temporality of the association carefully when interpreting the association between alcohol and RE, BE and EAC.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is dedicated to the mission of advancing the science and practice of gastroenterology. Founded in 1897, the AGA is one of the oldest medical-specialty societies in the U.S. Comprised of two non-profit organizations – the AGA and the AGA Institute – our more than 17,000 members include physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The AGA, a 501(c6) organization, administers all membership and public policy activities, while the AGA Institute, a 501(c3) organization, runs the organization’s practice, research and educational programs. On a monthly basis, the AGA Institute publishes two highly respected journals, Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The organization’s annual meeting is Digestive Disease Week®, which is held each May and is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. For more information, please visit http://www.gastro.org/.

About Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, is the most prominent scientific journal in the specialty and is in the top 1 percent of indexed medical journals internationally. The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all aspects of the digestive system, including the liver and pancreas, as well as nutrition. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts, CABS, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Nutrition Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For more information, visit http://www.gastrojournal.org.

For the fifth consecutive year, key research on the prevention, screening and treatment of GI cancers will be the focus of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium press program. Study authors will discuss notable research in an embargoed presscast (press briefing via live webcast) on January 23 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (EST).

Featured research includes:

- A study on the association between insurance status and the extent of colorectal cancer spread at the time of diagnosis.

- A study on the role of chemotherapy before surgery in fighting esophageal cancer.

- A study evaluating whether a blood serum-based marker called colon cancer-specific antigen-2 (CCSA-2) can aid in the detection of colorectal cancer.

- A study assessing the benefit of treatment with a monoclonal antibody called panitumumab for colorectal cancer patients based on their tumors’ molecular signatures.

In addition to the presscast just prior to the Symposium, a working newsroom will be available onsite at the meeting for reporters. Experts will be available for comment and perspective upon request.

The Symposium, which takes place January 25-27 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, will feature nearly 600 abstracts on a variety of gastrointestinal cancers including cancers of the esophagus, stomach, intestinal tract, liver and related organs, and pancreas. These cancers are diagnosed in approximately 263,000 people in the U.S. every year.

Four leading medical specialty societies co-sponsor the three-day, multidisciplinary symposium including the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO).

Registration: To register to attend the meeting, visit http://www.asco.org/presscenter or contact Tiffany Reynolds at reynoldt@asco.org or 703-519-1423. Registration for the presscast will be available in mid-January.

http://www.asco.org

Jiri Mestecky, M.D., Ph.D, a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professor of microbiology and medicine, has been awarded the 2007 Czech Mind prize.

The annual award is the highest scientific honor in the Czech Republic, and recipients often include Czech nationals working in other countries.

Mestecky came to UAB in 1967 and continues to research and teach about the microbial environment of the gut, mouth and mucosal membranes.

His expertise in mucosal immunology has earned him world acclaim. In recent years Mestecky has become a prominent researcher into a new class of experimental HIV vaccines.

Mestecky said earning the prize is exciting and humbling.

“There are so many great Czech scientists working at home, in France, in Germany and elsewhere,” he said. “To be chosen was a very pleasant surprise, and unexpected in many ways.”

He points to a 1971 study he had published in the journal Science that helped jump start lab-based exploration of the human immune response involving proteins and other molecules in bodily secretions. Mestecky and his lab focus on a protein called immunoglobulin A, or IgA.

The 1971 Science study spelled out the basic molecular characteristics of IgA, which in later years turned out to be a first step toward convincing many scientists that the mouth is integral to mucosal immunity, Mestecky said.

IgA researchers like Mestecky continue to break ground on a better understanding and new treatment options for deadly conditions like kidney failure, myeloma and AIDS, and for immunizing against a variety of microbial infections.

Mestecky travels the world lecturing on mucosal immunity and talking about his work in UAB’s departments of Microbiology and Medicine. Also, he collaborates with researchers at Charles University in Prague, Palacky University in the Eastern Czech city of Olomouc and other institutes around the world.

In addition to Mestecky’s prize, six other Czech Mind awards were given out this year. The award jury is made up of scientists, governmental officials and corporate leaders throughout the Czech Republic and Europe.

The prize organizer is the Prague-based firm of Ceska Hlava S.R.O., which manages that nation’s science and technology outreach programs in schools and on Czech-language television.

Each Czech Mind award comes with a monetary prize that is funded through donations and non-governmental sponsors, organizers said.

The honor came among several Mestecky received this year. He was given the 2007 Nils Alwall Prize for scientific contributions to the field of renal disease. In March, the International Association for Dental Research honored Mestecky for his expertise in oral biology and mucosal immunity.

Attending general surgeons at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) will be required to prove basic motor skills outside an operating room before performing laparoscopic surgery on patients.

CRICO/RMF, the Harvard medical community’s professional liability insurer, will offer “Fundamentals in Laparoscopic Surgery” (FLS) as a refresher course in January 2008. As an incentive for this voluntary program, CRICO/RMF is providing a one-time patient safety incentive to attending general surgeons who demonstrate successful completion of the FLS exam.

“We enthusiastically endorse the efforts of the general surgeons in their quest to improve and maintain their skills in laparoscopic surgery,” said Robert Hanscom, Vice President of Loss Prevention and Patient Safety. “We are grateful for the opportunity to fund this important effort for surgeons.”

In an unprecedented requirement, all BIDMC general surgeons will need FLS certification to obtain privileges in laparoscopy. This requirement for certification for privileging at BIDMC is the first time surgeons in the United States will be required to demonstrate motor skills, according to Daniel B. Jones, MD, FACS, BIDMC’s Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Laparoscopy or ‘Band-aid surgery” distends the abdomen with carbon dioxide gas. Ports the diameter of a pencil have an air seal that permits long instruments to be inserted into the abdomen without losing air. The technique of several small cuts allows patients to experience less pain, shorter hospitalization and faster recovery.

Most surgeons who trained before 1990 had no formal training. Passing the FLS exam (http://www.fls.org) raises the bar by allowing the surgeon to show they have the skill to safely perform basic laparoscopic surgery.

“If we can ask bus drivers to pass an eye test, shouldn’t you be able to ask your surgeon to pass a skills test?” said Jones. “This requirement simply puts all surgeons on the same footing as their colleagues in terms of their skills on such basic techniques as tying knots.”

Surgeons will be tested, using a trainer box, on their proficiency to suture, cut in a circle and move objects from one location to another. In addition, an online written exam ensures cognitive knowledge of laparoscopy. The Carl J Shapiro Simulation and Skills Center (http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu/sasc) serves as the regional FLS testing site for New England.

All surgeons who complete the course successfully will receive continuing medical education credits through the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. The FLS Patient Safety Incentive Program has been made available to all attending general surgeons insured by CRICO. Details can be viewed at http://www.rmf.harvard.edu/fls.

“I know that the program provides participants with the basic skills they should have as laparoscopic surgeons,” said Jones. “When I did it myself, I found the course serves as a refresher on rare complications and events that I may not have seen but could see in the future.” Jones predicts that FLS will become a new minimal standard for all surgeons offering basic laparoscopy to patients.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks among the top four in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit

target=”_blank”>http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu. CRICO/RMF is the patient safety and medical malpractice company owned by and serving the Harvard medical community since 1976. For more information, http://visit www.rmf.harvard.edu.

AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPY), an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel drugs and diagnostics for animals and humans, has outlined plans for submitting its final data package to the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for market approval of AppyScore(TM), the first blood based screen/triage test for human appendicitis.

Following its official pre-IDE response from FDA in November, AspenBio plans to complete the final data package for a 510(k) submission by mid to late 2008. FDA regulations require the FDA to complete the 510(k) review within 90 days of submission. Steps currently proceeding under supervision of the company’s FDA consultants cover the following primary areas:

1) Pivotal clinical data trial definition and completion under FDA regulatory guidelines using GMP validated test version

2) Finalization of logistics with cGMP manufacturer of the AppyScore test

3) Preparation of FDA 510(k) final data submission package for clearance by FDA

In order to receive FDA 510(k) clearance, AspenBio must successfully demonstrate the performance characteristics of its final GMP-validated device. This includes non-clinical laboratory performance testing, like assay precision and analytical sensitivity, as well as clinical testing in the field. AspenBio has selected a manufacturer for the AppyScore Screen Test with extensive experience in manufacturing in-vitro diagnostic devices according to 21 CFR 820, and which has been registered with the FDA to manufacture these types of devices.

As disclosed in a September 28, 2007 press release, AspenBio’s pre-FDA multi-hospital study substantially advanced the optimization of sampling and testing methodologies necessary for FDA clinical studies. AspenBio and its FDA advisors are finalizing the clinical protocol that will involve testing of about 500 patients in multiple hospital sites.

Based upon AspenBio’s prior experience with patient recruitment rates in the pre-FDA preliminary studies, the company expects this final FDA clinical study to be completed within five to six months. The clinical portion of the 510(k) application will be conducted concurrently in accordance with FDA guidelines and as directed by the company’s FDA consultants.

AppyScore Screen Test is designed to screen patients suspected of having appendicitis. Emergency room physicians are expected to use the device as part of a complete clinical workup. The key metric for the clinical study is the device’s Negative Predictive Value, which has been shown consistently in pre-FDA clinical studies to be approximately 98%.

“Our path to FDA 510(k) clearance is clear and well planned, and we are excited to be moving so rapidly toward the commercialization of this first-generation blood test for appendicitis,” said AspenBio Pharma president and CEO, Richard Donnelly. “Ongoing data collection continues to support the exceptional effectiveness and efficacy of AppyScore, and we are carefully taking the final steps necessary to deliver a high-quality, first-of-its-kind appendicitis screen blood test to the U.S. market. Appendicitis is expected to afflict five to seven percent of the world’s population at some point in their lives, so the worldwide market potential for this test is tremendously vast. Given our achievements over the last year that have taken us far down this path for final data acquisition and submission, we have every reason to expect FDA 510(k) clearance for AppyScore before the end of 2008.”

About AspenBio Pharma, Inc.

AspenBio Pharma is an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery; development, manufacture, and marketing of novel proprietary products, including those that enhance the reproductive efficiency of animals and that have large worldwide market potential. The company was originally formed to produce purified proteins for diagnostic applications and has become a leading supplier of human hormones to many of the nation’s largest medical diagnostic companies and research institutions. The company has successfully leveraged this foundational science and technology expertise to rapidly develop an enviable late-stage pipeline of several novel reproduction hormone analogs for wide-ranging therapeutic use initially in bovine and equine species. AspenBio Pharma continues to advance the development and testing of its two first-generation blood-based human diagnostic tests designed to rapidly help diagnose or rule out appendicitis in patients complaining of abdominal pain. For more information, go to http://www.aspenbiopharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes “forward looking statements” of AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (“APPY”) as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in the press release that address activities, events or developments that APPY believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions made based on experience, expected future developments and other factors APPY believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APPY. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including the ability to successfully complete the development of, obtain FDA approval for and generate revenues from the appendicitis test and other new products, execute agreements required to successfully advance the company’s objectives, retain the scientific management team to advance the products, overcome adverse changes in market conditions and the regulatory environment, fluctuations in sales volumes, obtain and enforce intellectual property rights, and realization of intangible assets. Furthermore, APPY does not intend (and is not obligated) to update publicly any forward-looking statements. The contents of this news release should be considered in conjunction with the warnings and cautionary statements contained in APPY’s recent filings with the SEC.

AspenBio Pharma, Inc

http://www.aspenbiopharma.com

At least 1 percent of hospitalized patients at major medical centers will have a pancreatic cystic lesion on cross sectional imaging, and up to one quarter of all pancreata examined in an autopsy series contained a pancreatic cyst.

Until recently, pancreatic cystic lesions were thought to be benign, but new evidence suggests that they may lead to malignancies. A study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology provides a set of guidelines, developed by the American College of Gastroenterology’s Practice Parameters Committee, in order to help clinicians diagnose and manage patients who have developed cysts.

Management of cystic lesions is based on balancing the risk of surgical intervention with the malignant potential of the cyst. The article provides an overview of the several types of neoplastic pancreatic cysts. It offers recommendations on the diagnostic tests available, including new and emerging possibilities, such as DNA analysis, as well as when and how to begin treatment.

Preferred strategies for evaluating and managing patients with pancreatic cysts remain in evolution. These guidelines are designed to address in a practical fashion the most frequent and most important clinical scenarios encountered when caring for patients with pancreatic cysts.

The American Journal of Gastroenterology is the #1 clinical journal in gastroenterology. The journal brings a broad-based, interdisciplinary approach to the study of gastroenterology, including articles reporting on current observations, research results, methods of treatment, drugs, epidemiology, and other topics relevant to clinical gastroenterology. For more information, please visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ajg.

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.