CancerVax to Webcast Corporate Presentation at Roth Capital Partners 1

    Business Editors
    Roth Capital Partners 17th Annual Growth Stock Conference

    CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 2005--CancerVax Corporation (NASDAQ:CNVX) announced today that Martin A. Mattingly, Pharm. D., Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, will present at the Roth Capital Partners 17th Annual Growth Stock Conference on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA. Dr. Mattingly will provide an overview of the Company's pipeline of biological products for the treatment and control of cancer, including the Company's recently announced worldwide collaboration agreement with Serono for the development and commercialization of Canvaxin(TM), an investigational specific active immunotherapy product candidate in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of advanced-stage melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
    A live recording of CancerVax's presentation will be available at http://ir.cancervax.com. To access the presentation, click on the link entitled "Event Schedule" on the left side of the screen. The webcast will be available for 30 days and then will be archived.

    About CancerVax Corporation (www.cancervax.com)

    CancerVax Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel biological products for the treatment and control of cancer. The Company's lead product candidate, Canvaxin(TM), is one of a new class of products being developed in the area of specific active immunotherapy, also known as therapeutic cancer vaccines. Canvaxin(TM) is currently being studied in two international Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with Stage III or Stage IV, or advanced-stage, melanoma. In addition to Canvaxin(TM), CancerVax has licensed three specific active immunotherapeutic product candidates targeting the EGFR signaling pathway, including one product candidate in Phase 2 clinical trials. The Company also plans to identify and develop new product candidates based on its proprietary specific active immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis and telomere signaling T-oligonucleotide technology. CancerVax's corporate headquarters and research and development facility is located in Carlsbad, Calif., and its biologics manufacturing facility is located in the Los Angeles area.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    CancerVax cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by CancerVax that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in CancerVax's business including, without limitation, statements about: difficulties or delays in researching, developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its technologies and product candidates; its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations, which could adversely affect its ability to develop or commercialize its product candidates and its ability to continue to operate as a going concern; the risk that the collaboration agreement may be terminated by Serono in certain instances; and other risks detailed in CancerVax's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including CancerVax's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2004. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and CancerVax undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    CancerVax(R) is a registered trademark of CancerVax Corporation.
    Canvaxin(TM) is a trademark of CancerVax Corporation.

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CONTACT: CancerVax Corporation Vince Reardon, 760-494-4850

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY TRADESHOW SOURCE: CancerVax Corporation

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