EpiCept Announces Phase III Study of EpiCept(TM) NP-1 for the Treatment of Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

EpiCept Announces Phase III Study of EpiCept(TM) NP-1 for the Treatment of   
                   Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy                   

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., July 23 -- EpiCept Corporation (Nasdaq and OMX Nordic Exchange:
EPCT) today announced that it will study EpiCept(TM) NP-1, its patented topical 
cream formulation of two FDA-approved drugs, 4% amitriptyline and 2% ketamine,  
for the treatment of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CPN) in the    
ATTRACT-CPN Phase III Study (Assessment of Topical Treatment Response with      
Amitriptyline and Ketamine: Combination Trial in Chemotherapy Peripheral        
Neuropathy).  The study will be conducted within a network of approximately 25  
sites under the direction of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded         
Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP).                                     
    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020513/NYM112LOGO)             
Peripheral neuropathy, a painful condition caused by damage to the nerves in the
peripheral nervous system, affects over 15 million people in the United States. 
CPN is the result of the toxicity of a number chemotherapeutic agents.  The risk
of neuropathy increases with cumulative exposure. The first symptoms are        
paresthesias, with dysesthesias occurring after a few courses of chemotherapy,  
and often followed by severe neuropathic pain.                                  
The Study Chair, Professor Robert H. Dworkin stated, "I am pleased that EpiCept 
and the CCOP are working together to address this unmet medical need.  CPN is   
becoming a more prevalent issue with the wider use of more active               
chemotherapeutic agents."                                                       
"We are excited that the NCI funded CCOP has chosen to conduct this clinical    
trial of EpiCept NP-1," remarked Jack Talley, President and Chief Executive     
Officer. "We believe the results of this study will build upon the body of      
clinical evidence which demonstrates the ability of NP-1 to provide long-term   
relief from the pain resulting from peripheral neuropathies."                   
The topical delivery mechanism of EpiCept NP-1 could provide important clinical 
advantages in treating CPN patients, including the reduction of systemic side   
effects and drug interactions.                                                  
The Phase III trial is expected to be initiated before the end of the third     
quarter of 2007. The double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study will     
enroll approximately 400 patients suffering from painful CPN for at least 28    
days following the conclusion of chemotherapy.                                  
The trial will be 12 weeks in duration, with the primary endpoint being the     
change in average daily pain intensity scores from baseline to the end point.   
The secondary endpoints include the percentage of patients whose pain intensity 
decreases greater or equal to 30% from baseline and various other measures.     

    EpiCept NP-1 Clinical Development                                           
EpiCept has initiated two additional Phase IIb trials for EpiCept NP-1,         
enrolling a total of 700 patients. The first trial is a 200 patient,            
placebo-controlled study of NP-1 in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy
(DPN). More patients suffer from DPN than any other type of neuropathic pain.   
Only two medications are currently approved for this use. The trial is intended 
to confirm and expand upon earlier work which provided an efficacy signal in    
this type of neuropathic pain. The primary endpoint for this trial is the change
in pain intensity over the four-week duration of the trial. Preliminary results 
are expected by the fourth quarter of 2007.                                     
The second trial is a 500 patient, placebo- and active-controlled trial in      
peripheral herpetic neuropathy (PHN). This trial will compare the efficacy and  
safety of NP-1 vs. gabapentin as well as placebo. This active comparator trial  
is one of the first such efforts to examine any candidate compound at this scale
in neuropathic pain. The primary endpoint for this trial is the change in pain  
intensity over the four-week duration of trial. Preliminary results are expected
in the first quarter of 2008.                                                   

    About EpiCept Corporation                                                   
EpiCept is focused on unmet needs in the treatment of pain and cancer. EpiCept  
has a staged portfolio of pharmaceutical product candidates with several pain   
therapies in late-stage clinical trials, and a lead oncology compound (for acute
myeloid leukemia, or AML) with demonstrated efficacy in a Phase III trial; a    
marketing authorization application for this compound is under review by the    
European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA). EpiCept is     
based in Tarrytown, N.Y., and its research and development team in San Diego is 
pursuing a drug discovery program focused on novel approaches to apoptosis.     

    Forward-Looking Statements                                                  
This news release and any oral statements made with respect to the information  
contained in this news release, contains forward-looking statements within the  
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such           
forward-looking statements include statements which express plans, anticipation,
intent, contingency, goals, targets, future development and are otherwise not   
statements of historical fact. These statements are based on EpiCept's current  
expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual 
results or developments to be materially different from historical results or   
from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Factors that may cause actual results or developments to differ materially      
include: the risk that Myriad's development of Azixa will not be successful, the
risk that Azixa will not receive regulatory approval or achieve significant     
commercial success, the risk that we will not receive any significant payments  
under our agreement with Myriad, the risk that the development of our other     
apoptosis product candidates will not be successful, the risk that our ASAP     
technology will not yield any successful product candidates, the risk that      
clinical trials for NP-1 will not be successful, that NP-1 will not receive     
regulatory approval or achieve significant commercial success, the risk that    
Ceplene will not receive regulatory approval or marketing authorization in the  
EU, the risk that our other product candidates that appeared promising in early 
research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in       
larger-scale or later stage clinical trials, the risk that EpiCept will not     
obtain approval to market any of its product candidates, the risks associated   
with reliance on additional outside financing to meet its capital requirements, 
the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel, the risks associated   
with reliance on collaborative partners and others for further clinical trials, 
development, manufacturing and commercialization of our product candidates; the 
cost, delays and uncertainties associated with our scientific research, product 
development, clinical trials and regulatory approval process; our history of    
operating losses since our inception; competition; litigation; risks associated 
with our ability to have our common stock readmitted to trading on The Nasdaq   
Global Market; risks associated with prior material weaknesses in our internal  
controls; and risks associated with our ability to protect our intellectual     
property. These factors and other material risks are more fully discussed in    
EpiCept's periodic reports, including its reports on Forms 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K   
and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are     
urged to carefully review and consider the disclosures found in EpiCept's       
filings which are available at www.sec.gov or at www.epicept.com. You are       
cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, any of 
which could turn out to be wrong due to inaccurate assumptions, unknown risks or
uncertainties or other risk factors.                                            

    EPCT-GEN                                                                    

SOURCE  EpiCept Corporation                                                     
    -0-                             07/23/2007                                  
/CONTACT:  Robert W. Cook of EpiCept Corporation, +1-914-606-3500,              
rcook@epicept.com; or Investors, Kim Sutton Golodetz, +1-212-838-3777,          
kgolodetz@lhai.com, or Bruce Voss, +1-310-691-7100, bvoss@lhai.com, both of     
Lippert, Heilshorn & Associates for EpiCept Corporation; or Media, Greg Kelley  
of Feinstein Kean Healthcare, +1-617-577-8110, gregory.kelley@fkhealth.com, for 
EpiCept Corporation/                                                            
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    /Web site:  http://www.epicept.com /                                        
    (EPCT)