Novelos Therapeutics to Begin Trading on OTCQX

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQX: NVLT), a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for treatment and diagnosis of cancer, announced that today its common stock will begin trading on OTCQX, the top tier of the OTC market designated for OTC companies that meet standards established by the OTC Market Group.  Novelos' trading symbol, "NVLT", will remain the same.  Investors may find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for Novelos via www.novelos.com or www.otcmarkets.com/stock/NVLT/quote.

"We are very pleased with this change of our quotation status to OTCQX," said Harry Palmin, President and CEO of Novelos.

"Novelos' transition to OTCQX from the OTCQB platform should enhance the trading experience for our shareholders, especially with the wider access to Real-Time Level 2 quotes," said J. Patrick Genn, Vice President of Investor Relations of Novelos.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the world's largest OTC marketplace for equity securities.  OTC Markets Group's OTC Link® trading system delivers price transparency in over 10,000 securities and enables direct interaction between broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services.  OTC Markets Group organizes the marketplace by categorizing the wide spectrum of OTC-traded companies into three tiers: OTCQX® - The Intelligent Marketplace for the Best OTC Companies; OTCQB® - The Venture Marketplace; and OTC Pink® - The Open Marketplace.  OTC Markets Group's information-driven platform makes it easy for investors to trade at the best price through the broker of their choice and empowers companies to build the best markets for their investors.

About Novelos Therapeutics, Inc.

We are a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer.  Our three cancer-targeted compounds are selectively taken up and retained in cancer cells (including cancer stem cells) versus normal cells.  Thus, our therapeutic compounds appear to directly kill cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal cells.  This offers the potential for a paradigm shift in cancer therapy by providing efficacy versus all three major drivers of mortality in cancer: primary tumors, metastases and stem cell-based relapse.  LIGHT is a small-molecule cancer-targeted PET imaging agent.  We believe LIGHT has first-in-class potential and Phase 1-2 clinical trials are ongoing.  HOT is a small-molecule, broad-spectrum, cancer-targeted molecular radiotherapeutic that delivers cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells.  We believe HOT also has first-in-class potential.  HOT Phase 1b dose-escalation trial is ongoing and we expect HOT to enter Phase 2 trials in the first quarter of 2013 as monotherapy for solid tumors with significant unmet medical need, subject to additional funding.  COLD, a cancer-targeted non-radioactive chemotherapy, works primarily through Akt inhibition.  We plan to file an IND for COLD in the first quarter of 2013, subject to additional funding.  Together, we believe our compounds are able to "find, treat and follow" cancer anywhere in the body in a novel, effective and highly selective way.  For additional information please visit www.novelos.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements.  You can identify these statements by our use of words such as "may," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "estimate," "continue," "plans," or their negatives or cognates.  Such statements are valid only as of today, and we disclaim any obligation to update this information.  These statements are only estimates and predictions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to differ materially from the statements made.  These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes.  Drug discovery and development involve a high degree of risk.  Factors that might cause such a material difference include, among others, uncertainties related to the ability to attract and retain partners for our technologies, the identification of lead compounds, the successful preclinical development thereof, the completion of clinical trials, the FDA review process and other government regulation, our  pharmaceutical collaborators' ability to successfully develop and commercialize drug candidates, competition from other pharmaceutical companies, product pricing and third-party reimbursement.

SOURCE Novelos Therapeutics, Inc.