Momenta Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data for Novel Oncology Compound M402...

Momenta Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data for Novel Oncology Compound
M402 at AACR Meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Momenta Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Nasdaq:MNTA), a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization
and engineering of complex mixture drugs, today announced results from a
preclinical study of its novel oncology drug candidate, M402. The data showed
that M402 in combination with chemotherapeutic agents inhibited spontaneous
tumor metastasis in a murine metastatic breast carcinoma model. The results were
presented in a poster session titled "M-ONC 402 - A Non-Anticoagulant Low
Molecular Weight Heparin Inhibits Tumor Metastasis" (abstract #281) on Sunday,
April 19, 2009 at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association for
Cancer Research (AACR), in Denver, Colorado.

"Heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (HSGAGs) are complex sugar-based molecules
present in the tumor microenvironment that present growth factors, cytokines,
and chemokines necessary for tumor cell growth, migration, and survival,"
commented Takashi Kei Kishimoto, Ph.D., Vice President of Disease Biology at
Momenta Pharmaceuticals. "Our novel product candidate, M402, exploits the
biology of HSGAGs. Data from preclinical studies have shown that M402 has the
potential to modulate angiogenesis and tumor metastasis through a variety of
HSGAG-binding proteins," he concluded.

M402 is an HSGAG mimetic engineered from low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to
have potent anti-metastatic properties and low anticoagulant activity.
Anti-tumor efficacy was first evaluated in an experimental murine melanoma
metastasis model. The data demonstrated that a single dose of M402 administered
prior to tumor inoculation significantly reduced tumor colonization in the lung
in a dose-dependent manner. Based on these findings, the anti-tumor efficacy of
M402 was then assessed for the ability to inhibit spontaneous metastasis in an
orthotopic murine metastatic breast carcinoma model. In this model, M402 in
combination with cisplatin was shown to significantly inhibit tumor cell
metastasis to the lung compared to animals treated with cisplatin alone.
Subsequent immunohistological analysis showed a decrease in microvessel density
in both primary tumors and lung metastases in the M402 treated group, suggesting
that anti-angiogenesis may contribute to the anti-tumor effect of M402.

Additional preclinical studies of M402 will be presented at AACR in a poster
"M-ONC 402, a Novel Non-Anticoagulant Heparin Inhibits P-selectin Function and
Inhibits Metastatic Seeding of Tumor Cells in Mice" (abstract #5005) on
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

About M402

M402 is a heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HSGAG) mimetic engineered from low
molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to have potent anti-metastatic properties and
low anticoagulant activity. M402, the Company's second novel product candidate,
is in preclinical development.

About Momenta

Momenta Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company, headquartered in Cambridge,
MA, specializing in the detailed structural analysis of complex mixture drugs.
Momenta is applying its technology to the development of generic versions of
complex drug products, as well as to the discovery and development of novel
drugs.

To receive additional information about Momenta, please visit the website at
www.momentapharma.com, which does not form a part of this press release.

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CONTACT: Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Beverly Holley
617-395-5189
bholley@momentapharma.com