EpiCept Announces Multiple Presentations on ASAP Technology at American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting

EpiCept Announces Multiple Presentations on ASAP Technology at American
Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting

    TARRYTOWN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2008--Regulatory News:

    EpiCept Corporation (Nasdaq and OMX Nordic Exchange: EPCT) today
announced that it will present new drug discovery advances emanating
from its Anti-cancer Screening Apoptosis Platform (ASAP) as well as
structure activity relationship studies from its clinical-stage
apoptosis inducers at the Annual Meeting of the American Association
of Cancer Research (AACR) being held from April 12-16, 2008 in San
Diego, California.

    Discovery of Small-Molecule Apoptosis Inducer Pathways

    EpiCept will give two poster presentations describing the
discovery of small-molecule apoptosis inducers, which targets two
commonly dysregulated pathways in cancer, Myc oncogene and
Wnt/beta-catenin. The compounds were discovered through novel
application of the company's ASAP technology toward targeted pathways.

    Dysregulated molecular targets and the pathways controlled by
those targets drive the pathology of cancer cells. The presentations
will focus on the rapid identification of potential anti-cancer agents
that disrupt the dysregulated target or the altered pathways by
selectively inducing apoptosis in cancer cells with the dysregulated
target of interest. In the Wnt/beta-catenin presentation, assay
development, identification and characterization of selective hit
compounds targeting of this pathway will be described. In the
presentation on targeting the Myc-oncogene pathway, hit exploration
and lead optimization has identified compounds that work through
Myc-dependent mechanisms to activate apoptosis and which demonstrated
significant anti-tumor activity in human cancer xenograft mouse models
of liver, colorectal cancers and lymphoma.

Date             Time                   Abstract Number & Title

April 14, 2008   8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. #2330 
-- Selective apoptosis induction in Wnt-deregulated cancer cells

April 16, 2008   8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. #5660 
- Optimization of in vivo active small molecule tumor inhibitor 
targeting Myc pathway

    Structure Activity Relationships for EPC2407 and Azixa

    EpiCept will also give two poster presentations that describe the
discovery and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of two
series of apoptosis inducers identified using ASAP. These apoptosis
inducers led to the identification of EPC2407, currently in Phase I
clinical trials, and Azixa(TM), currently in Phase II clinical trials.

Date           Time                  Abstract Number & Title
April 13, 2008 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. #1266 
- Discovery of 4-aryl-4H-chromenes as a new series of apoptosis 
inducers using a cell- and caspase-based HTS assay, 5: SAR of the 2- 
and 3-positions

April 13, 2008 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. #1265 
- 2-Chloro-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-N-methylquinazolin-4-amine (EP128265, 
MPI-0441138) as an inducer of apoptosis with in vivo activity

    About EpiCept Corporation

    EpiCept is focused on unmet needs in the treatment of pain and
cancer. The Company's broad portfolio of pharmaceutical product
candidates includes several pain therapies in clinical development and
a lead oncology compound for AML with demonstrated efficacy in a Phase
III trial; a marketing authorization application for this compound is
being re-examined in Europe following a negative opinion. In addition,
EpiCept's ASAP technology, a proprietary live cell high-throughput
caspase-3 screening technology, can efficiently identify new cancer
drug candidates and molecular targets that selectively induce
apoptosis in cancer cells. Two oncology drug candidates currently in
clinical development that were discovered using this technology have
also been shown to act as vascular disruption agents in a variety of
solid tumors.

    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 the
Company's securities may be delisted by the Nasdaq Capital Market and
that any appeal of the delisting determination may not be successful,
the risk that our appeal of the negative opinion regarding the MAA for
Ceplene(R) will not be successful and that Ceplene(R) will not receive
regulatory approval or marketing authorization in the EU, the risk
that Ceplene(R), if approved, will not achieve significant commercial
success, the risks associated with our need to raise additional
financing to continue to meet our capital needs and our ability to
continue as a going concern, the risk that Myriad's development of
Azixa(TM) will not be successful, the risk that Azixa(TM) 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 or EPC2407 will not be successful,
the risk that NP-1 or EPC2407 will not receive regulatory approval or
achieve significant commercial success, 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 we will not
obtain approval to market any of our product candidates, 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; the highly competitive nature of our business; risks
associated with litigation; 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

    *Azixa is a registered trademark of Myriad Genetics, Inc.

    CONTACT: EpiCept Corporation:
             777 Old Saw Mill River Road
             Tarrytown, NY 10591
             Robert W. Cook, 914-606-3500
             rcook@epicept.com
             or
             Media:
             Feinstein Kean Healthcare
             Greg Kelley, 617-577-8110
             gregory.kelley@fkhealth.com
             or
             Investors:
             Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates
             Kim Sutton Golodetz, 212-838-3777
             kgolodetz@lhai.com
             or
             Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
             bvoss@lhai.com