ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 9, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTMD), a leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today reported the final patient treatment in the company's ongoing U.S. Phase 2 surgical clinical trial designated IMPACT-DCM. Treated at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, GA, this patient received direct injections of Aastrom's tissue repair cells for the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a severe form of congestive heart failure in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. With the treatment of the final patient in this trial, Aastrom is positioned to report six-month interim data on all enrolled patients later this year.

IMPACT-DCM is a randomized, controlled, open-label Phase 2 trial which targeted enrollment of 20 patients with ischemic DCM and 20 patients with non-ischemic DCM at five clinical sites in the U.S. Control patients receive standard medical care, while patients in the treatment arm have received injections of Aastrom's tissue repair cells directly into the wall of the left ventricle in addition to standard medical care. While the primary objective of this trial is to assess safety in patients with DCM, efficacy measures including cardiac dimensions, heart failure stage and other measures of cardiac function are being monitored. Patients are being evaluated at both six months and 12 months following treatment. IMPACT-DCM is the first clinical trial in the U.S. to evaluate the surgical delivery of autologous cells directly into the human heart muscle for the treatment of congestive heart failure associated with DCM in both ischemic and non-ischemic patients. This is also the first U.S. Phase 2 cellular therapy trial for heart failure to complete enrollment.

"We are very pleased to announce this important milestone in our cardiac regeneration program," said Tim Mayleben, president and CEO of Aastrom. "We look forward to collecting, analyzing and announcing the data from this first-of-a-kind trial later this year."

Tissue repair cells are produced from a small sample of autologous bone marrow stem cells from each patient. Aastrom's technology significantly expands the natural populations of early stem and progenitor cells for delivery directly to the damaged cardiac tissues of the same patient.

About Aastrom Biosciences

Aastrom Biosciences is developing autologous cellular therapies for use in the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases. The company's proprietary cell-processing technology enables the production of cellular therapies using a patient's own bone marrow that can be delivered directly to damaged tissues. Aastrom has advanced this technology into late-stage clinical development and is conducting two Phase 2 clinical trials to treat dilated cardiomyopathy and a Phase 2b clinical trial to treat critical limb ischemia. For more information, please visit Aastrom's website at www.aastrom.com.

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This document contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements concerning clinical trial plans and expectations, clinical activity timing, intended product development and commercialization objectives, expected timing of collecting, analyzing and reporting study data, all of which involve certain risks and uncertainties. These statements are often, but are not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "expects," "we believe," "we intend," and similar words or phrases, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "potential," "could," "may," or similar expressions. Actual results may differ significantly from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may result in differences are the inherent uncertainties associated with clinical trial and product development activities, regulatory approval requirements, competitive developments, and the availability of resources and the allocation of resources among different potential uses. These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Aastrom's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward looking statements reflect management's current views and Aastrom does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release except as required by law.

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          Aastrom Biosciences 
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          (734) 930-5777
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