Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Presents Data on Improved Drug Delivery Technology at International RNAi Conference

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Mar 28 (MARKET WIRE) --
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Tekmira") (TSX: TKM) announced
today that a new second-generation formulation of the Company's liposomal
drug delivery technology has the potential to bring a 10-fold increase in
potency to RNA interference (RNAi) drugs that are administered
intravenously.

The preclinical data are being presented at the "RNAi, MicroRNA, and
Non-Coding RNA" Keystone Symposium held March 25-30, 2008 in Whistler,
British Columbia.

RNAi drugs have the potential to treat human diseases by "switching-off"
genes that cause disease and the technology represents one of the most
promising and rapidly advancing frontiers in biology and drug discovery
and was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

One of the hurdles to successful application of RNAi is delivering the
drugs through the bloodstream to specific target organs and into cells.
Encapsulating RNAi drugs in liposomes can protect the drug while in the
bloodstream and allow for delivery into the target organ and cells.

In collaboration with scientists at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
Tekmira scientists have tested numerous different lipid delivery
formulations. The presentation at the Keystone conference highlights the
use of a novel cationic lipid DLin-K-DMA in liposomes that target the
liver and hepatocytes. The presented data shows an approximate 10-fold
increase in potency relative to the Company's previous formulation work.

Timothy M. Ruane, Tekmira's President and CEO, said the data presented in
collaboration with Alnylam highlight the advances the two companies are
making with respect to intravenous administration of RNAi therapeutics.

"We intend to continue to build on this data as we identify new
formulations with improved potency and formulations that can be used to
target different organs and cells," said Ruane.

Tekmira and Alnylam have been collaborating on lipid delivery technology
for the intravenous administration of RNAi therapeutics since 2006. In
2007, the companies announced a formal license agreement whereby Alnylam
was granted exclusive access to Tekmira's intellectual property and
technology for the delivery of RNAi therapeutics. Tekmira is eligible to
receive up to US$13 million in milestone payments plus royalties for each
and every RNAi product advanced by Alnylam that uses Tekmira's technology.

About Tekmira

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a Canadian biopharmaceutical
company developing and commercializing proprietary drugs and drug
delivery systems to improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Further information about Tekmira and this news release can be found at
www.tekmirapharm.com. Tekmira is based in Vancouver, B.C.

Contacts:
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation - Investors
Ian Mortimer
Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(604) 419-3200
Website: www.tekmirapharm.com

James Hoggan & Associates Inc. - Media
Karen Cook
(604) 739-7500
Email: kcook@hoggan.com

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