MDRNA, Inc. Appoints Beverly L. Davidson, Ph.D. and Carl Novina, M.D., Ph.D., to Its Scientific Advisory Board

BOTHELL, WA--(Marketwire - May 15, 2009) - MDRNA, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) announced today the appointment of Beverly L. Davidson, Ph.D., and Carl Novina, M.D., Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

"The appointment of these outstanding scientists and opinion leaders to our Scientific Advisory Board reflects our strong commitment to scientific excellence as a premier RNAi therapeutics company," stated Barry Polisky, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer. "We are particularly pleased to have attracted these two prominent researchers, who will be instrumental in helping us develop siRNA therapeutics and delivery systems against a broad range of human diseases including oncology and, in particular, our liver cancer program. During my tenure at Sirna Therapeutics, I worked with Dr. Davidson on our SAB, and of course Dr. Novina previously served on MDRNA's SAB during 2008."

Beverly L. Davidson, Ph.D.

Dr. Davidson is currently Professor of Medicine, Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics in the Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Iowa. She holds the Roy J. Carver Biomedical Research Chair and is Director of The Davidson Laboratory, which is focused on inherited genetic diseases that cause central nervous system dysfunction, with a focus on (1) recessive, childhood onset neurodegenerative disease, in particular the lysosomal storage diseases such as the mucopolysaccharidoses and Battens disease; and (2) dominant genetic diseases for example the CAG repeat disorders, Huntington's disease and spinal cerebellar ataxia type I, and (3), understanding how noncoding RNAs participate in neural development and neurodegenerative diseases processes. Dr. Davidson is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Federation for Clinical Research (Midwest Section), American Society for Neuroscience, American Society for Gene Therapy, and the American Society for Microbiology. Dr. Davidson serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Gene Therapy, and is Associate Director of the Center for Gene Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis and other Genetic Diseases, and is past Co-Director of the Iowa Biosciences Advantage Program.

Dr. Davidson received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1987 and was a Fellow of the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1992.

Carl Novina, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Novina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, an Assistant Professor of Cancer Immunology/AIDS at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute. His research focuses on investigating the mechanisms and applications of mammalian RNAi. To discover the biological roles of microRNAs and their interacting proteins, his group has developed cell-free, microRNA-dependent translational gene silencing reactions and cell-based reporter systems for translational repression and mRNA cleavage by microRNAs. His laboratory is engaged in collaborative projects to profile microRNA expression as well as microRNA and RNAi factor gene loci, in an effort to understand the roles of microRNAs in cancer, including hematopoietic and solid tumors.

Dr. Novina received his M.D. from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2000 and his Ph.D. from Tufts University, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences in 1998. He did his graduate studies on transcriptional regulation of TATA-less promoters by TFII-I in Dr. Ananda Roy's laboratory. Dr. Novina completed his postdoctoral training with Dr. Phillip Sharp, Nobel Laureate, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigating small RNA-directed gene silencing.

Dr. Polisky added, "I am confident both Drs. Davidson and Novina will contribute greatly to the achievement of our key scientific objectives. We will continue to speak with and look for other prominent scientists as we build our Scientific Advisory Board."

About MDRNA, Inc.

MDRNA is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products based on RNA interference (RNAi). Our goal is to improve human health by combining novel RNAi-based compounds and proprietary peptide- and liposomal-based drug delivery technologies to provide superior therapeutic options. Our multi-disciplinary portfolio of capabilities includes molecular biology, cellular biology, formulation expertise, peptide and alkylated amino acid chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and bioinformatics. We are applying this expertise to a single, integrated drug discovery platform that will be the engine for our clinical pipeline and a versatile platform for establishing broad therapeutic partnerships. We are also building on new technologies, such as UsiRNAs that incorporate the non-nucleotide moiety Unlocked Nucleobase Analog (UNA) within the siRNA molecule, that we expect to lead to safer and more effective RNAi-based therapeutics. By combining broad expertise in siRNA science with proven delivery platforms and a strong and growing IP position, MDRNA is well positioned as a leading RNAi therapeutics company and value-added collaborator for our research partners. Additional information about MDRNA, Inc. is available at http://www.mdrnainc.com.

MDRNA Forward-Looking Statement

Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of MDRNA to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of MDRNA to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iii) the ability of MDRNA and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) the ability of MDRNA and/or a partner to obtain required governmental approvals; and (v) the ability of MDRNA and/or a partner to develop and commercialize products that can compete favorably with those of competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in MDRNA's most recent periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. MDRNA assumes no obligation to update and supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.

Contact Information: Contact: Matthew D. Haines Senior Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications (212) 209-3874 McKinney|Chicago (Media) Alan Zachary (312) 944-6784 x 316 or (708) 707-6834