BEMA(TM) Fentanyl Phase III Data Demonstrating Efficacy and Tolerability to be Presented at American Pain Society Annual Meeting

BEMA(TM) Fentanyl consists of a small, dissolvable, polymer film, formulated with the opioid narcotic fentanyl for application to the buccal (inner lining of cheek) membranes. In January, BioDelivery Sciences announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted for filing the company's New Drug Application (NDA) for BEMA(TM) Fentanyl. A formal decision on the NDA is expected by August 31, 2008.

In the Phase III efficacy study, patients on stable background opioid medication were enrolled and 81 received BEMA(TM) Fentanyl and placebo in a randomized sequence for their breakthrough cancer pain episodes. A total of 394 BTP episodes were treated with BEMA(TM) Fentanyl and 197 with placebo. Lack of effective pain relief leading to withdrawal during the initial open label titration phase was infrequent (3.3% of patients). In the double blind portion of the study, the primary endpoint - sum of pain intensity differences at 30 minutes (SPID30) - was significantly greater with BEMA(TM) Fentanyl than placebo (p=0.004). Additionally, SPID values were significant in favor of BEMA(TM) Fentanyl at all time points from 15 minutes through 60 minutes, the last assessment time.

In the long-term open label safety trial, 220 patients received BEMA(TM) Fentanyl, and more than 56,000 episodes of BTP were treated. On average, patients received 2.9 doses per day for 112 days (maximum of 531 days). The most frequent side effects seen and attributed to the drug were those commonly associated with opioid treatment and included nausea (8.6%), dizziness (5.5%), constipation (5.0%) and drowsiness (4.5%).

Given the potential for application site irritation from drugs that are delivered across the buccal mucosa (inner lining of the cheek), particularly in cancer patients, oral safety data were combined and analyzed from three BEMA(TM) Fentanyl clinical trials. The data from these 301 patients are also presented in a poster session. BEMA(TM) Fentanyl was associated with a low incidence of application site reactions, with 1.3% considered probably or possibly related to the drug. Most cases were mild and none led to discontinuation.

"The collective data made public through these presentations today and tomorrow support the potential value of BEMA(TM) Fentanyl for the treatment of breakthrough pain in opioid tolerant patients with cancer," said James North, MD, Principal Investigator for the Phase III (FEN-201) efficacy study. "Breakthrough cancer pain can be devastating to patients with cancer and their families. Patients suffering from breakthrough cancer pain need treatment options that provide effective pain relief and are easy to administer."

About BioDelivery Sciences International

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that is focused on developing innovative products to address growing market opportunities, including conditions such as pain. The company utilizes its owned and licensed patented drug delivery technologies to develop, partner, and commercialize new products using proven therapeutics. BDSI's pain franchise currently consists of two products in development utilizing the company's patented BEMA(TM) oral adhesive film technology: BEMA(TM) Fentanyl, a potential treatment for "breakthrough" pain in opioid tolerant patients with cancer (NDA currently under review by FDA), and BEMA(TM) Buprenorphine, a second analgesic with at least one potential target indication for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. The company is working with both its BEMA(TM) technology and its patented Bioral(R) cochleate technology on products targeted at conditions common to oncology and surgical patients such as pain and infections. The company's headquarters are located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and its principal laboratory is located in Newark, New Jersey. For more information please visit www.bdsinternational.com.

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