Provectus Pharmaceuticals Initiates Compassionate Use Program of PV-10 for Non-Visceral Indications in Cancer Patients in U.S.
Wednesday October 14, 2009

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: PVCT, http://www.pvct.com), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has expanded its compassionate use program for PV-10, making the agent, which is being developed as a therapeutic agent for a broad spectrum of cancers, available for select cancer patients in the United States. The program is already in progress in Australia, where it was initiated in June 2009.

The program for PV-10 is being implemented under the FDA's guidelines covering compassionate use of an investigational new drug. The U.S. program commenced at St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network in Bethlehem, PA, under the direction of Dr. Sanjiv Agarwala, Principal Investigator at that site for Provectus' Phase 2 melanoma trial. As in Australia, PV-10 will only be available for cancer indications that do not involve visceral organs and are not subject to enrollment in ongoing clinical trials. These indications include certain breast cancers, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, certain head and neck cancers and melanoma. Interested parties are encouraged to visit Provectus' website, www.pvct.com, where details on the compassionate use program and additional information will be posted in the near future. Compassionate use programs provide patients with access to experimental therapeutics prior to final FDA approval. Provectus expects to expand the compassionate use program to other sites in the United States in coming months.

Dr. Kelly McMasters, a preeminent physician and investigator who is a member of Provectus' Board of Directors and head of its Scientific Advisory Board, will continue his role as advisor to the Company on candidates for the program who might be safely helped by PV-10. Dr. McMasters said, "Commencement of the compassionate use program in the United States is timely, given the fact that all patients in the Phase 2 trial for metastatic melanoma have now been treated. Interim results from the Phase 2 trial demonstrate that PV-10 is well-tolerated, eliciting a robust response in a majority of patients, with a safety and efficacy profile that compares favorably with existing and emerging therapies. These factors, along with completion of Phase 1 clinical testing of PV-10 for treatment of recurrent breast cancer, are strong reasons to make PV-10 available on a compassionate use basis."

Craig Dees, Ph.D., CEO of Provectus said, "We have received many requests from physicians to make PV-10 available to their patients on a compassionate use basis. Considering the encouraging interim results we have received from Phase 2 testing of PV-10, enabling patients access to the drug via a compassionate use program is absolutely the right thing to do. We believe that PV-10 has the potential to be effective for several indications, and are pleased to be able to offer it in the United States and Australia through this program. In the meantime, our developmental efforts continue for PV-10, and we look forward to continued progress."

About PV-10

PV-10 is a proprietary, injectable formulation of Rose Bengal, a compound that has been in use for nearly thirty years by ophthalmologists to assess damage to the eye. It has also been used as an intravenous diagnostic to detect ailments of the liver. Rose Bengal is a small molecule agent with an established safety history, a short half-life in the bloodstream, and is excreted via the liver and kidneys. Provectus has discovered a novel use for Rose Bengal based on the observation that it is selectively toxic to cancer calls via a process called chemoablation whereby cells undergo a form of cell death that mimics both features of necrosis and apoptosis.

About Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.pvct.com)

Provectus Pharmaceuticals specializes in developing oncology and dermatology therapies. Its lead oncology agent, PV-10, is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue, significantly reducing systemic side effects. Its oncology focus is on melanoma, breast cancer and metastatic liver cancer. The Company has received orphan drug designation from the FDA for its melanoma indication. Its lead dermatological drug, PH-10, also targets abnormal or diseased cells, with the current focus on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Provectus has recently completed enrollment in two of its Phase 2 trials -- PV-10 as a therapy for metastatic melanoma, and PH-10 as a topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. It is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial for PH-10 as a topical treatment for psoriasis. Information about these and the Company's other clinical trials can be found at the NIH registry, www.clinicaltrials.gov. For additional information about Provectus please visit the Company's website at www.pvct.com or contact Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: The forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date thereof.

SOURCE: Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Contact:

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Peter R. Culpepper, CFO, 866-594-5999 #30
or
Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc.
Marlon Nurse, 212-564-4700
VP - Investor Relations
or
Bill Gordon, 212-564-4700
SVP - Media Relations