ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals Inc. Set To Join Russell 3000 Index

SAN DIEGO, June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it was selected for listing on the Russell 3000(R) Index when Russell Investment Group reconstitutes its family of U.S. indexes on June 30, according to a preliminary list of additions posted Friday on www.russell.com.

Membership in the Russell 3000, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000(R) Index or small-cap Russell 2000(R) Index as well as the appropriate growth and style indexes. Russell determines membership for its equity indexes primarily by objective market capitalization rankings and style attributes. The Russell 3000 Index is a broad listing of the 3000 largest U.S. stocks representing approximately 98 percent of the U.S. equity market.

"Our preliminary selection to the Russell 3000 Index exemplifies the Company's exceptional growth as well as its increasing visibility within the investment community in the past year," said Evan M. Levine, ADVENTRX president and CEO.

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies. An industry-leading $3.8 trillion in assets currently are benchmarked to them. Investment managers who oversee these funds purchase shares of member stocks according to that company's weighting in the particular index.

Annual reconstitution of Russell indexes captures the 3,000 largest U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization to create the Russell 3000. The largest 1,000 companies in the ranking comprise the Russell 1000 while the remaining 2,000 companies become the Russell 2000. These investment tools originated from Russell's multi-manager investment business in the early 1980s when the company saw the need for a more objective, market-driven set of benchmarks in order to evaluate outside investment managers.

About ADVENTRX

ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical research and development company focused on introducing treatments for cancer and infectious disease that surpass the performance and safety of existing drugs, by addressing significant problems such as drug metabolism, toxicity, bioavailability and resistance. More information can be found on the Company's Web site at www.adventrx.com.

About Russell

Russell, a global leader in multi-manager investment services, provides investment products and services in 44 countries. Russell manages more than $167 billion in assets and advises clients worldwide representing $2.4 trillion. Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and is headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., with additional offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Tokyo. For more information, go to www.russell.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding ADVENTRX. Such statements are made based on management's current expectations and beliefs. Actual results may vary from those currently anticipated based upon a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, the timing and success of clinical trials, the validity of research results, and the receipt of necessary approvals from the FDA and other regulatory agencies. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements regarding ADVENTRX, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in ADVENTRX's last annual report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other reports that ADVENTRX files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements regarding ADVENTRX are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. ADVENTRX undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances which occur after the date hereof.

ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: Andrea Lynn of ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-858-552-0866

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