PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2006--AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVII), today issued an update on its licensed and internal cardiovascular programs, both of which have been strengthened by notices of allowance from the U.S. Patent Office. AVI licensed its vascular disease program to the Cook Group Inc. (Cook) in March 2006 for device delivery of the NEUGENE(R) antisense drug AVI-4126, while the company is focusing internal development on coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) using AVI-5126.
