RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/18/2006 -- Adherex Technologies Inc. (TSX: AHX) (AMEX: ADH), a biopharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of oncology products under development, today announced the appointment of Michael G. Martin, Chief Executive Officer of BioEnergy of America, Inc., to the Company's Board of Directors.

"Mike Martin brings to the Adherex Board extensive experience in growing and financing smaller companies," said William P. Peters, Chairman and CEO of Adherex. "His creative and forthright style and business acumen have enabled him to successfully guide numerous companies through the early stages of development, and I look forward to his contributions to Adherex."

Martin said, "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be a part of this innovative cancer company, particularly as it advances its products through some key stages of development. These are exciting times for Adherex, and I look forward to helping build value for Adherex's shareholders and patients with cancer."

Prior to assuming his role as CEO of BioEnergy of America, a company dedicated to developing renewable sources of energy, Martin served as managing director of R&M Financial Associates, a merger & acquisition consulting firm specializing in small and mid-size companies across multiple industries.

The Company also announced the concurrent departure of Raymond Hession from the Board of Directors. "We thank Ray for his eight years of dedicated service to Adherex and express our gratitude for all of his valuable contributions," said Peters.

About Adherex Technologies

Adherex Technologies Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics. We aim to be a leader in developing innovative treatments that address important unmet medical needs in cancer. We currently have multiple products in the clinical stage of development, including ADH-1 (Exherin™), eniluracil and sodium thiosulfate (STS). ADH-1, our lead biotechnology compound, selectively targets N-cadherin, a protein present on certain tumor cells and established blood vessels that feed solid tumors. Eniluracil, an oral dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) inhibitor, was previously under development by GlaxoSmithKline for oncology indications. STS, a drug from our specialty pharmaceuticals pipeline, protects against the disabling hearing loss that can often result from treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. With a diversified portfolio of unique preclinical and clinical-stage cancer compounds and a management team with expertise in identifying, developing and commercializing novel cancer therapeutics, Adherex is emerging as a pioneering oncology company. For more information, please visit our website at www.adherex.com

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. The actual results, performance or achievements of the Company might differ materially from the results, performance or achievements of the Company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We are subject to various risks, including the uncertainties of clinical trials, drug development and regulatory review, our need for additional capital to fund our operations, the early stage of our product candidates, our reliance on collaborative partners, our history of losses, and other risks inherent in the biopharmaceutical industry. For a more detailed discussion of related risk factors, please refer to our public filings available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov