CORVALLIS, OR--(Marketwire - September 22, 2008) - AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, today announced that Dr. Leslie Hudson, AVI’s President and CEO, will present an update on the continuing transition of AVI from an antisense pioneer into a leading discoverer and developer of RNA-based drugs. The corporate overview will include an update on AVI’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy program (DMD), its biodefense projects (which include significant data from the Company’s ongoing Ebola and Marburg virus programs in collaboration with the Department of Defense), its partnership with Cook Medical in the development of a new, innovative drug eluting stent for the prevention of cardiovascular restenosis, and the Company’s renewed focus on developing partnerships and collaborations to forward other promising programs based on AVI’s proprietary compounds and their novel RNA-based applications.
