BLSI Boston Life Sciences (MM)

Key Thought Leaders in the Area of Spinal Cord Injury Research to Advise on Cethrin(R) Development Program HOPKINTON, Mass., May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLSI) today announced the formation of a scientific and clinical advisory panel for its nerve repair program. The panel will focus on providing strategic guidance and advice to the Company on the best avenues and alternatives for successful development of its nerve repair technologies, primarily in the area of spinal cord injury (SCI). Currently, the Company is conducting a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of Cethrin (Rho A inhibitor), the lead nerve repair product candidate, to treat acute SCI. We believe our scientific and clinical advisory panel is composed of some of the world's leading experts in the field of SCI and nerve repair: John F. Ditunno, Jr. M.D., of Jefferson Medical College; James Fawcett, M.D. of Cambridge University Centre for Brain Repair; Michael G. Fehlings M.D. Ph.D. of University of Toronto and Principal Investigator in the Cethrin trial; Daniel P. Lammertse, M.D. of Craig Hospital; John Steeves, Ph.D. of University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Mark Tuszynski, M.D., Ph.D. of University of California at San Diego. They join the Company's current scientific advisors: Larry Benowitz, Ph.D., Children's Hospital Boston; Zhigang He, Ph.D., Children's Hospital Boston, and Joseph Bianchine, M.D., former advisor to Schwarz Pharma. "We are enthusiastic about the contributions we expect from this talented panel of advisors to drive the development of Cethrin," aid Mark Hurtt, MD, Boston Life Sciences' Chief Medical Officer. "Clinical trial success is maximized by accessing a broad base of thought leaders. We believe that these leading strategists in the area of spinal cord research provide a valuable network of connections to all experts in the field." John F. Ditunno, Jr. M.D. is a Professor and former Chairman of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Medical College. For more than three decades, Dr. Ditunno, has been a leader in the field of spinal cord injury care, education and research. His current role is as a researcher for Thomas Jefferson University, Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley (RSCICDV). He became Emeritus Project Director in 2006, after serving as Project Directory of the RSCICDV since 1978. Dr. Ditunno was the chairman and editor of the "International Standards for Neurological and Functional Classification of Spinal Cord Injury," which provides a universal language for classifying persons with spinal cord injury that has been accepted by rehabilitation practitioners throughout the world. James Fawcett, M.D. is Chairman of Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Professor of Experimental Neurology University of Cambridge, UK and Director of Medical Studies, King's College. Dr. Fawcett is an organizer of the ICCP (International Campaign for Cures for Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis) group developing protocols for clinical trials in spinal cord injury and he is Chairman of the External Advisory Panel to ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries). His research group is a member of the Christopher Reeve Foundation consortium. His research focuses on axon regeneration and plasticity in the central nervous system and on the response to brain and spinal cord injury. His research has shown that treatments that modify the extracellular matrix can promote repair and recovery. Michael G. Fehlings M.D. Ph.D. FRCSC FACS is a Professor of Neurosurgery and McLaughlin Scholar in Molecular Medicine at the University of Toronto, Chairman of the Spinal Program at the Toronto Western Hospital, Medical Director of the Krembil Neuroscience Center at the University Health Network and Krembil Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration. His main clinical interests are in complex spinal neurosurgery, and his research focus is in molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord injury and translational research related to spine and spinal cord conditions. In this regard, Dr. Fehlings directs a New Emerging Team in Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine and Nanotechnology which is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Fehlings is a co-principal investigator in the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation funded North American Clinical Trials Network, co-director of the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Translational Research Network and co-chair of the renowned Spine Trauma Study Group. He is the principal investigator in the Cethrin PhaseI/IIa clinical trial. Daniel P. Lammertse, M.D. is the Medical Director of Craig Hospital which is designated as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System program by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). He is a past- President of the American Spinal Injury Association and is the immediate past- Chair of the NIDRR SCI Model Systems Project Directors Committee. He has also served on the American Paraplegia Society Board of Directors and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. He has an appointment as Associate Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Colorado. Dr. Lammertse serves on the External Advisory Panel of the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), and the Scientific Review Board of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. Dr. Lammertse is an active member of the International Campaign for Cures for spinal cord injury Paralysis (ICCP) workgroup that has been developing guidelines for the conduct of clinical trials in spinal cord injury. John D. Steeves, Ph.D. is the John and Penny Ryan BC Leadership Chair and Professor in the Departments of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, Surgery (Neurosurgery) and Zoology at University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Dr. Steeves is the founding director of ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries), which is multidisciplinary research group focused on clinical and discovery research directed to spinal cord injuries (SCI). He is also an organizer of ICCP (International Campaign for Cures for Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis) group developing protocols for clinical trials in spinal cord injury. Professor Steeves' research has focused on the mechanisms essential to facilitate functional repair after central nervous system (CNS) damage. He is recognized as a pioneer for his detailed characterizations of the pathways from the brain to the spinal cord that are important for controlling movement and has made major contributions to understanding the role of myelin in spinal cord repair. Mark Tuszynski is Professor of Neurosciences at University of California- San Diego (UCSD), Vice-Chair of the Department, and Director of the UCSD Center for Neural Repair. Dr. Tuszynski's pioneering research focuses on the role of growth factors in influencing plasticity and regeneration in the adult central nervous system. He actively researches the topics of aging, Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, and cellular mechanisms of normal memory. About Boston Life Sciences: Boston Life Sciences, Inc. (BLSI) is engaged in the research and clinical development of diagnostic and therapeutic products for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Cethrin(R), a recombinant-protein-based drug designed to promote nerve repair after acute spinal cord injury, has reported positive interim results in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial. ALTROPANE(R) molecular imaging agent is in Phase III clinical trials for the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease (PD). The company's research and pre-clinical CNS programs include Inosine for the treatment of spinal cord injury and stroke, a DAT blocker for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and a second generation technetium-based molecular imaging agent for PD and ADHD. BLSI's current research collaborations include Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. Safe Harbor The foregoing release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements include statements regarding Boston Life Sciences' future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans or prospects regarding the future, including the development and commercialization of ALTROPANE and Cethrin, the prospects of the Company's CNS therapeutics program, the Company's strategies to develop and commercialize axon regeneration technologies and the breadth of the Company's technologies and intellectual property portfolio. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "could increase the likelihood," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is planned," "may," "should," "will," "will enable," "would be expected," "look forward," "may provide," "would" or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including those risks, uncertainties and factors referred to in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the section "Risk Factors," as well as other documents that may be filed by Boston Life Sciences from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, the Company's actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Boston Life Sciences is providing the information in this press release as of this date and assumes no obligations to update the information in this press release. Contact: Sharon Correia Director, Corporate Communications 508-497-2360 ext 224 DATASOURCE: Boston Life Sciences, Inc. CONTACT: Sharon Correia, Director, Corporate Communications, Boston Life Sciences, Inc., +1-508-497-2360 ext. 224, or Web site: http://www.bostonlifesciences.com/

Copyright