April 20, 2005 - VBS Congratulates Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., on Receiving the 2005 Japan Prize in Cell Biology in Tokyo, Japan

December 3, 2003 - VBS announces that Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD, joins it's Board of Advisors

April 15, 2003 - VBS Announces Lung Transplant Rejection Detection with the Endoarterial Biopsy Catheter in an Animal Model

San Diego, Calif., April 20, 2005 - Vascular BioSciences (www.vascularbiosciences.com)
announced today that Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., a member of Vascular BioSciences' (www.vascularbiosciences.com) Advisory Board, and co-founder of VBS Pharmaceuticals, has been awarded the 2005 Japan Prize in the category of cell biology. Dr. Ruoslahti shares the 50 million yen prize with Dr. Masatoshi Takeichi, Director of RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan.

Dr. Ruoslahti was awarded the prize for "Fundamental contributions in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell adhesion." Dr. Ruoslahti is being recognized for his pioneering contributions to the cell adhesion field, which include the discovery and molecular definition of the RGD peptide that interacts with integrin receptor sites during cellular attachment.

The Japan Prize is awarded annually in Tokyo in the presence of the Emperor and Empress of Japan to "people from all parts of the world whose original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind."

“We are delighted to see Erkki receive some of the recognition he deserves,” said David Mann, CEO and Chairman of Vascular BioSciences and VBS Pharmaceuticals. “Dr. Ruoslahti's original approach to scientific research has produced major advances in cell adhesion, vascular targeting peptide technology, drug discovery, nanotechnology, and tumor biology that merit considerable praise. We are proud to work with Dr. Ruoslahti in our collaborations to improve human health.”

For more on the 2005 Japan Prize: http://www.japanprize.jp/English.htm

For photos of Dr. Ruoslahti receiving prize in the presence of the Emperor and Empress
http://www.japanprize.jp/2005/photos/20ceremony/IMG_7358.html
http://www.japanprize.jp/2005/photos/20ceremony/IMG_7337.html

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San Diego, Calif., December 3, 2003 - Vascular BioSciences (www.vascularbiosciences.com)
announced today that Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D. will join its Board of Advisors.

“We are honored that a physician and scientist of Erkki Ruoslahti’s stature will join our Board of
Advisors,” said David Mann, CEO and Chairman of Vascular BioSciences. “Dr. Ruoslahti’s
groundbreaking research and scientific expertise in the areas of vascular targeting peptide technology,
vascular biology, cell adhesion, and tumor biology will greatly enhance our efforts to improve the
diagnosis and treatment of vascular-based diseases. We look forward to working closely with Dr.
Ruoslahti to fulfill our shared vision of improving human health.”

Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti is Distinguished Professor at The Burnham Institute in La Jolla, California. He
served as the President of The Burnham Institute from 1989 to 2001. He has published more than 400
scientific papers and is the inventor of more than 150 patents. His inventions form the basis of two
clinically used drugs as well as several that are under development. He has co-founded several biotech
companies and has served as a director or advisory board member of these and other companies. He has
been awarded numerous prizes for scientific accomplishment, and was a Nobel fellow at The Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Ruoslahti is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
and the Institute of Medicine.

“I am very pleased to join Vascular BioSciences because of its continuing commitment to develop
innovative technologies for diseases of the vasculature,” said Dr. Ruoslahti, "I am intrigued by the
possibilities of the new endoarterial biopsy catheter developed by Vascular BioSciences and look
forward to collaborating with the company in the development of new applications for this technology."

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San Diego, Calif., April 15, 2003 - Vascular BioSciences (www.vascularbiosciences.com) announces the publication of a new method to detect lung transplant rejection using the company’s endoarterial biopsy catheter in the current issue of Transplantation, the official journal of the transplantation society.

The paper, “Increased Expression of Endoarterial Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 mRNA in an Experimental Model of Lung Transplant Rejection: Diagnosis By Pulmonary Arterial Biopsy” in Transplantation 2003; 75(7):960-965, was the result of a collaboration between Vascular BioSciences and physicians at the University of California, San Diego. The paper describes how the endoarterial biopsy catheter safely and effectively obtained endoarterial biopsy samples from branch pulmonary arteries in an animal model of lung transplant rejection. VCAM-1 mRNA levels in pulmonary vascular tissue samples obtained with the endoarterial biopsy catheter increased with increasing levels of lung transplant rejection. According to the study, in patients who undergo lung transplantation, the endoarterial biopsy method may be useful in the diagnosis of rejection and infection. Endoarterial biopsies may also aid in detecting early vascular changes associated with bronchiolitis obliterans (chronic lung transplant rejection).

Abraham Rothman, M.D., Co-director of Cardiology at Children’s Hospital San Diego, Professor of Pediatrics at University of California, San Diego, and lead author of the paper stated, “Although the endoarterial biopsy procedure was safe and effective in animals, the procedure has not yet been evaluated in humans.
However, extensive experimental experience suggests that the procedure should have similar results in human patients.”

To download a PDF copy of our research on lung transplant rejection detection with the endoarterial biopsy catheter published in Transplantation, please click here:
Increased Expression of Endoarterial Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 mRNA in an Experimental Model of Lung Transplant Rejection: Diagnosis by Pulmonary Arterial Biopsy by A. Rothman, D. Mann et. al. Transplantation. Vol. 75, No. 7. April 15, 2003. (Full Text-648k download)

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CAUTION - Investigational Device. Limited by Federal law to investigational use.
This device should be used only by physicians with a thorough understanding of percutaneous interventional procedures.