AVI BioPharma, Inc. to Present Leading PPMO Drug Delivery Technology at Upcoming Scientific Meetings

BOTHELL, WA, Aug 27 (MARKET WIRE) --
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, today
announced that Hong Moulton, Ph.D., Director of Discovery Research, will
give oral presentations highlighting improved analogues of AVI's
phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) chemistry at two upcoming
scientific meetings.

At the 3rd Intracellular Delivery of Therapeutic Molecules: From Bench to
Bedside, taking place in Montpellier, France, Dr. Moulton will give a
presentation titled "Targeted Gene Expression in vivo: Cell Penetrating
Peptides Make Antisense Work," as part of the session on applications of
delivery systems on Sept. 2, 2009. This conference, designed to bring
together leading scientists in the field of cell-penetrating peptides and
non viral delivery systems, is celebrating the 15 year anniversary of the
discovery of cell-penetrating peptides.

At the Targeted Drug Delivery Conference, taking place in Lausanne,
Switzerland, Dr. Mouton will present on "Cell Penetrating
Peptidomorpholino Conjugates" on Sept. 3, as part of the peptide-bases
delivery session.

Both presentations focus on AVI's next generation chemistry,
peptide-conjugated PMO (PPMO), which improves delivery to nuclei of muscle
cells and so is particularly applicable to drugs that work by exon
skipping. With appropriate dosing, PPMO compounds restored dystrophin to
nearly normal levels in skeletal and cardiac muscles in a mouse model of
Duchenne muscular dystrophy without inducing toxicity or an immune
response against the new dystrophin expressed. As a result, force
generation and function of both skeletal and cardiac muscles were
improved.

About AVI BioPharma

AVI BioPharma is focused on the discovery and development of RNA-based
drugs utilizing proprietary derivatives of its antisense chemistry,
(morpholino phosphorodiamidate oligomers or PMOs) that can be applied to a
wide range of diseases and genetic disorders through several distinct
mechanisms of action. Unlike other RNA-based therapeutic approaches, AVI's
antisense technology has been used to directly target both messenger RNA
(mRNA) and its precursor (pre-mRNA), allowing for both up- and
down-regulation of targeted genes and proteins. AVI's RNA-based drug
programs are being evaluated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular
dystrophy as well as for the treatment of cardiovascular restenosis
through our partner Global Therapeutics, a Cook Group Company. AVI's
antiviral programs have demonstrated promising outcomes in Ebola Zaire
and Marburg Musoke virus infections and may prove applicable to other
viral targets such as HCV or Dengue viruses. For more information, visit
www.avibio.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: The statements that are not historical facts contained in this
release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of research and
development efforts, the results of preclinical and clinical testing, the
effect of regulation by the FDA and other agencies, the impact of
competitive products, product development, commercialization and
technological difficulties, and other risks detailed in the company's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

AVI Press and Investor Contact:
Julie Rathbun
Investor Relations
(541) 224-2575
Investorrelations@avibio.com

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