Bionovo to Present Recent Findings of BN108, its Anticancer Agent, at the 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) will present findings on the mechanism of action of its anti-cancer agent BN108 at the 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium being held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio TX, December 10-14, 2008.

Bionovo's poster presentation will describe the pathway for cancer cell apoptosis (cell death) induced by BN108. As explained by Dr. Emma Shtivelman, Director of Cancer Research at Bionovo, BN108 induces death in cancer cells but not in normal cells. BN108 induces apoptosis through induction of stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. Laboratory studies show that BN108 inhibits major oncogenic pathways, and therefore, can be used for many different cancers.

"BN108 mechanism of action and unique selective properties are a result of some of the distinct biological differences between cancer cells and normal cells. We believe BN108 will result in better selectivity to various cancers with no collateral damage to normal tissues. BN108 is designed to be an oral drug candidate that will provide a chronic treatment option with a low toxicity profile," said Dr. Isaac Cohen, Chairman and CEO of Bionovo,

Bionovo, Inc.

Bionovo is a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of safe and effective treatments for women's health and cancer, markets with significant unmet needs and billions in potential annual revenue. The company applies its expertise in the biology of menopause and cancer to design new drugs derived from botanical sources which have novel mechanisms of action. Based on the results of early and mid-stage clinical trials, Bionovo believes they have discovered new classes of drug candidates within their rich pipeline with the potential to be leaders in their markets. Bionovo is headquartered in Emeryville, California and is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol, "BNVI". For more information about Bionovo and its programs, visit: http://www.bionovo.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Bionovo, Inc. that can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties relating to product development, efficacy and safety, regulatory actions or delays, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, market acceptance, physician acceptance, third party reimbursement, future capital requirements, competition in general and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. Bionovo, Inc. is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE  Bionovo, Inc.

    -0-                             12/12/2008
    /CONTACT:  Claire Fong or Tom Chesterman, both of Bionovo, Inc.,
+1-510-601-2000, investor@bionovo.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.bionovo.com /
    (BNVI)

CO:  Bionovo, Inc.

ST:  California, Texas
IN:  HEA MTC SPM
SU:  TDS

SD-AE
-- AQF012 --
8065 12/12/2008 08:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com