ProChon Biotech Selects Averion International for the BioCart Cartilage Regeneration System Study

WOBURN, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
ProChon Biotech, Ltd., an innovator of tissue regenerative technologies that are
being developed to relieve pain and restore the mobility and quality of life for
sufferers of articular cartilage injuries, today announced that it has selected
Averion International Corp. (OTC BB: AVRO), a leading international clinical
research organization, to support and manage the clinical development of
ProChon`s BioCart Autologous Cartilage Regeneration System.

Averion brings a 20 year history working with living cell therapies and will
support ProChon`s FDA Phase II multicenter clinical study by managing additional
site selection and patient recruitment, site monitoring, data management, data
analysis, report writing, quality assurance and regulatory services. The first
clinical study site, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, is
currently recruiting patients.

"Averion`s working knowledge of global regulations concerning cell therapy in
the United States and around the world, coupled with their orthopedic expertise,
makes Averion an ideal partner for us as we embark upon this critical FDA
approval process," said Patrick O`Donnell, chief executive officer of ProChon.
"We believe that the BioCartTM System has the potential to be a first line of
treatment option for the hundreds of thousands of people with articular
cartilage damage. The ProChon/Averion team is focused on accelerating all
clinical trial activities, further underscoring our commitment to accelerating
the rehabilitation process and quality of life for patients with knee pain
associated with cartilage injury."

"We are pleased to work with ProChon, a company that is redefining the focus of
clinical orthopedics, and provide them with clinical trial management support in
the U.S. and abroad," said Philip T. Lavin, Ph.D., founder and vice chairman of
the board of Averion International. "For more than 25 years we have been a
trusted partner in clinical research and are committed to working with ProChon
to ensure that its clinical trials are executed to the highest possible
standard."

About Averion International Corp.

Averion International Corp. (Averion) is a leading international clinical
research organization (CRO) with proven expertise in supporting global clinical
trials for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. Our
well-designed trials span the product development lifecycle from first-in-man
through regulatory approval and post-marketing surveillance studies. Major
therapeutic categories including medical devices (including orthopedics),
oncology, cardiology, and critical care are primary therapeutic areas for
Averion since its` founding in 1983.

About The BioCart Cartilage Regeneration System

The BioCart™ Cartilage Regeneration System is an autologous chondrocyte implant
system that is a safe, minimally invasive, high-quality implant for long-term
articular cartilage regeneration stemming from joint cartilage defects and
injuries. The system is commercially available in Italy, Greece and Israel and
is undergoing an FDA Phase II multicenter clinical study in the United States.
To date, over 70 patients have received the BioCartTM implant with some patients
over five years post-implantation.

About ProChon Biotech, Ltd.

Founded by world leaders in the field of regenerative medicine, ProChon is a
privately-held biotechnology company focused on modulating the fibroblast growth
factor (FGF) system to enable it to create more effective solutions for tissue
regeneration. ProChon`s products combine cell regeneration technologies with
proprietary growth factors and biocompatible scaffolds to restore injured or
chronically damaged tissues to normal. ProChon has filed patent applications,
licensed patents for core technologies and products, and has been granted
patents in the United States, Europe, Israel and Australia. ProChon`s R&D
facility resides in Ness Ziona, Israel and the executive management team is
based in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Schwartz Communications
Jon Siegal, 781-684-0770
prochon@schwartz-pr.com
or
ProChon Biotech, Ltd.
Thomas C. May, 508-735-5524
tmay@prochon.co.il

Copyright Business Wire 2009