Active Biotech AB’s Prostate Cancer Project TASQ Featured in Molecular Cancer

LUND, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - May 17, 2010) -

Lund, Sweden, May 17, 2010 - Molecular Cancer (doi:10.1186/1476-4598-9-107 http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/9/1/107) has published an article* covering Active Biotech’s (NASDAQ OMX Nordic: ACTI) prostate cancer project TASQ, where pre-clinical studies of TASQ has been performed in order to further explore its mode of action.

It was concluded that TASQ exhibits anti-tumor activity via inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. Up-regulation of thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) was identified as one important component in order to understand and explain the anti-angiogenic mechanism of TASQ treatment of prostate cancer.

TASQ is presently in development for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Positive top line data from a phase II study was reported in December 2009. Complete results from the Phase II trial will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference during the first half of 2010 and in scientific journals.

Active Biotech AB (publ)

Tomas Leanderson President & CEO

*Tasquinimod (ABR-215050), a quinoline-3-carboxamide anti-angiogenic agent, modulates the expression of thrombospondin-1 in human prostate tumors Anders Olsson, Anders Bjrk, Johan Vallon-Christersson, John T Isaacs, & Tomas Leanderson

Notes to editors

About TASQ The development of TASQ is principally focused on the treatment of prostate cancer http://www.activebiotech.com/?oid=7&_locale=1. TASQ is an antiangiogenic compound, meaning that it cuts off the supply of nutrients to the tumor but it does not belong to the most frequently occurring group of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In September 2009, the results from the Phase I trial of TASQ http://www.activebiotech.com/?oid=newsdetail&news=1343587&_locale=1 were published in the British Journal of Cancer. The results showed that long-term continuous oral administration of TASQ seems to be safe and that TASQ might delay disease progression. It was announced in December 2009 that the primary endpoint of the Phase II clinical study http://www.activebiotech.com/?oid=newsdetail&news=1360883&_locale=1, to show a higher fraction of patients with no disease progression during the six- month period of treatment using TASQ, had been reached. The percentage of patients with disease progression during the six-month period was 43% for patients treated with TASQ compared with 67% for placebo treated patients. The median progression-free survival was 24.7 weeks for the TASQ group, compared with 12.9 weeks (p=0.0001) for the placebo group.

About Active Biotech Active Biotech AB (NASDAQ OMX NORDIC: ACTI) is a biotechnology company with focus on autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and cancer. Projects in pivotal phase are laquinimod, an orally administered small molecule with unique immunomodulatory properties for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as well as ANYARA for use in cancer targeted therapy, primarily of renal cancer. Further key projects in clinical development comprise the three orally administered compounds TASQ for prostate cancer, 57-57 for SLE and RhuDex™ for RA. Please visit www.activebiotech.com for more information.

Active Biotech is required under the Securities Markets Act to make the information in this press release public. The information was submitted for publication at 3:30 pm CET on May 17, 2010.

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Active Biotech?s Prostate Cancer Project TASQ Featured in Molecular Cancer: http://hugin.info/1002/R/1416361/366971.pdf