RALEIGH, N.C., July 1, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- DARA BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:DARA) announced today that it was added to the Russell Microcap(r) Index when Russell Investments reconstituted its comprehensive family of U.S. and global equity indexes on June 27, 2008.
Membership in the Russell Microcap, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Russell determines membership for its equity indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes. Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies. An industry-leading $4.4 trillion in assets currently are benchmarked to them.
"Russell is an industry leader for stock indexes, and we expect our inclusion to the Russell Microcap Index will expand DARA's awareness among investors and broaden our base of shareholders," said John Didsbury, Ph.D., President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of DARA BioSciences.
Total returns data for the Russell Microcap and other Russell Indexes is available at http://www.russell.com/Indexes/performance/daily_total_returns_us.asp.
About Russell:
Russell Investments aims to improve financial security for people by providing strategic advice, world-class implementation, state-of-the-art performance benchmarks, and a range of institutional-quality investment products. With more than $213 billion in assets under management, Russell serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries. Russell provides access to some of the world's best money managers. It helps investors put this access to work in corporate defined benefit and defined contribution plans, and in the life savings of individual investors.
Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., U.S., Russell has principal offices in Amsterdam, Auckland, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.
About DARA BioSciences, Inc.
DARA BioSciences(tm), Inc. ("DARA") is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based development-stage pharmaceutical company that acquires and develops promising drug candidates. DARA focuses its therapeutic development efforts on small molecules from late preclinical development through phase 2 clinical trials. DARA has a portfolio of drug candidates for neuropathic pain, type 2 diabetes, and psoriasis. For more information please contact the Company at 919-872-5578 or visit our web site at www.darabio.com.