Avalon Pharmaceuticals Appoints Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., to Its Board of Directors

  
    
  
  
    
      Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVRX), today announced the 
      appointment of Philip Frost, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors 
      effective March 14, 2008. The addition of Dr. Frost brings the Avalon 
      Board to eight members.
    
    
      “We are pleased to have Dr. Frost join the 
      Avalon Board,” stated Kenneth C. Carter, 
      Ph.D., President and CEO of Avalon Pharmaceuticals. “His 
      expertise will be a tremendous asset to Avalon as we work toward 
      advancing our pipeline and ultimately commercializing our oncology 
      products.”
    
    
      “I am very excited to join the Board of Avalon 
      Pharmaceuticals,” stated Dr. Frost. “The 
      Company’s unique approach to drug discovery 
      and development, and strong oncology pipeline make for a bright future 
      ahead.”
    
    
      About Dr. Frost
    
    
      Dr. Philip Frost is currently the President of Calesca Pharmaceuticals. 
      Prior to Calesca, Dr. Frost was Executive Vice President and Chief 
      Scientific Officer at ImClone Systems, Inc. from 2005 to 2007 where he 
      oversaw the company’s research, clinical and 
      regulatory departments. He also served as Interim Chief Executive 
      Officer at ImClone in 2006. Prior to ImClone Systems, Dr. Frost served 
      as Vice President of Oncology and Co-Director of the Oncology 
      Therapeutic Area Leadership Team at Wyeth where he was responsible for 
      the development of various oncology compounds. Dr. Frost has also held 
      the positions of Adjunct Professor of Cell Biology and Adjunct Professor 
      of Medicine at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center since 
      1992. Dr. Frost has also held other academic positions at the University 
      of Texas and University of California, Irvine. He is currently a member 
      of the Board of Directors of Innovive Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Frost earned 
      his Medical Degree at State University of New York at Buffalo and his 
      Ph.D. at the Clinical Research Center in London, England.
    
    
      About Avalon Pharmaceuticals
    
    
      Avalon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, 
      development and commercialization of first-in-class cancer therapeutics. 
      Avalon’s lead product candidate, AVN944, an 
      IMPDH inhibitor, is in Phase II clinical development. Avalon also has 
      preclinical programs to develop inhibitors of the Beta-catenin and 
      Aurora/Centrosome pathways, discovery programs for inhibitors of the 
      Survivin and Myc pathways and partnerships with Merck, MedImmune, 
      ChemDiv, Medarex, and Novartis. AvalonRx® 
      is the company’s proprietary platform which 
      is based on large-scale biomarker identification and monitoring, used to 
      discover and develop therapeutics for pathways that have historically 
      been characterized as "undruggable." Avalon is headquartered in 
      Germantown, MD.