<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.1
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>r8k-145.txt
<DESCRIPTION>PRESS RELEASE DATED FEBRUARY 21, 2007
<TEXT>
Exhibit 99.1

                             	ACCESS NEWS

Contact: Company	                                 Contact: Investor Relations
Stephen B. Thompson	                Adam Lowensteiner/Alisa Steinberg (media)
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer	         Wolfe Axelrod Weinberger LLC
(214) 905-5100	                                                (212) 370-4500

                     	Andrew Hellman, CEOcast, Inc. for Access Pharmceuticals
                                                              	(212) 732-4300

               ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT
                    TO ACQUIRE SOMANTA PHARMACEUTICALS

   Acquisition of Four Potent Anti-Cancer Compounds, Including Phase 2 Drug
   Candidate and Experienced Clinical Development Team Positions Access as a
                 Leading Developer of Oncology Therapeutics

Dallas, TX/Irvine, CA, February 21, 2007, ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(OTCBB: ACCP) and Somanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: SMPM) announced
today that they have signed a letter of intent for Access to acquire
Somanta.  Somanta is an Irvine, California based biotechnology company
with four novel anti-cancer compounds in development, one of which is
currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. Each of Somanta's drug candidates
acts by a unique mechanism of action, and has the potential to target a
wide range of different cancer types. In addition to its significant
product pipeline, Somanta brings an experienced team of clinical development
and regulatory professionals who have an established track record of guiding
compounds through the FDA and EMEA approval processes. Upon consummation of
the acquisition, Somanta's preferred and common shareholders will receive an
aggregate of 1.5 million shares of Access common shares which would
represent approximately 13% of the combined company assuming the
conversion of Access' existing convertible debt under existing terms of
conversion. The letter of intent is non-binding. The acquisition is expected
to close in the second quarter.

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Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Page 2

"The proposed acquisition of Somanta is very exciting for Access from a
number of perspectives," stated Stephen R. Seiler, Access' President and CEO.
"Somanta comes with four very interesting anti-cancer compounds, one of
which is already in Phase 2 clinical trials. Each compound acts by a novel
mode of action, and one represents a novel platform technology. As a result,
the combined Access and Somanta will have a broad cancer-focused portfolio
which will include one approved product, two drug candidates in Phase 2
trials and three novel and exciting pre-clinical products. Our goal has always
been to make Access a leader in the oncology space and this acquisition fills
out our product pipeline extremely well."

"In addition, the Somanta clinical development team fits well with our
current management group," continued Mr. Seiler. "I look forward to
leveraging their expertise to assist in accelerating and broadening the
clinical program for Access' ProLindac which is in Phase 2 trials in the
EU and in the U.S. as well as on our oral insulin program."

"The proposed combination of Somanta with Access is highly synergistic,"
added Agamemnon Epenetos, M.D., Ph.D., Somanta's CEO. "Each company is at
a position where the combination makes strategic sense, and the product
pipelines and management teams come together very well, with little overlap.
I believe the combined product and technology pipeline is extremely exciting,
and I look forward to working closely with the Access team to advance both
companies' products through the development and regulatory process."

About Somanta
Somanta Pharmaceuticals is a company focused on the development of novel
oncology compounds and anti-cancer agents. Somanta's lead clinical product
Sodium Phenylbutyrate (PB) is currently in Phase 2 development. In National
Institute of Health sponsored trials, PB has demonstrated the greatest
activity in CNS cancers, several of which are "orphan" indications such
as Glioblastoma Multiforme. Moreover, promising data has also emerged which
suggests PB may be an effective therapy for certain blood cancers and
other solid tumors. PB has been well tolerated; its safety profile has
generally been established due to its many years of clinical use in
pediatrics for inherited urea cycle disorders.

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Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Page 3

Somanta's other drug candidates include Alchemix, Prodrax and Angiolix.
Alchemix is pan-target inhibitor that is effective in tumor cells resistant
to conventional chemotherapy by targeting and irreversibly binding to DNA.
Prodrax, a technology platform, is a novel family of prodrugs that enables
compounds to remain inert until they reach the hypoxic region of tumors
where they become toxic, thus targeting tumor cells which are typically
difficult to kill. Somanta believes Alchemix and Prodrax have the ability
to overcome many different pathways of drug resistance, and will be studied
in a broad range of cancers including lung, colon, ovarian and renal.
Proof-of-principle pre-clincal studies have been completed in both of
these compounds, and Phase 1 dose escalation trials are being planned.
Additionally, Somanta is developing a humanized monoclonal antibody,
Angiolix, which appears to induce cell death selectively to tumor blood
vessels using a different mode of action than VEGF-oriented therapies.
Somanta has prepared clinical development plans for all preclinical
projects. For additional information on Somanta Pharmaceuticals, please
visit http://www.somanta.com.

About Access
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging biopharmaceutical company that
develops and commercializes propriety products for the treatment and
supportive care of cancer patients. Access' products include ProLindac(TM),
currently in Phase II clinical testing of patients with ovarian cancer and
MuGard(TM) for the management of patients with mucositis. The Company also
has other advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin(TM)-mediated
targeted delivery and oral drug delivery. For additional information on
Access Pharmaceuticals, please visit our website at www.accesspharma.com.

About ProLindac(TM)
Access' lead compound, ProLindac(TM), is a novel DACH platinum prodrug which
has been shown to be active in a wide variety of solid tumors in both
preclinical models and in human trials. The Company believes that
ProLindac's unique molecular design potentially could eliminate some of
the toxic neurological side effects seen in currently marketed DACH
platinums. The Company is currently enrolling patients in two Phase II
clinical trials, one in ovarian cancer and one in head and neck cancer,
and plans to initiate one or more additional trials, including one in
colorectal cancer in 2007.

About MuGard(TM)
Access has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market MuGard(TM) in
the United States. MuGard(TM) is Access' proprietary oral rinse product for
the management of oral mucositis, the debilitating side-effect which
afflicts more than 40% of cancer patients

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Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Page 4

undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. There is currently no well-accepted
treatment for mucositis. Access is actively seeking marketing partners in
Europe and the US.

About Cobalamin(TM)
The Company is actively pursuing development of its novel Cobalamin(TM) drug
delivery technology, particularly as it pertains to the oral delivery of
large molecule drugs that are only currently deliverable by injection or
subcutaneous administration. Pre-clinical animal studies utilizing Access'
Cobalamin(TM) technology have demonstrated the ability to deliver insulin by
oral administration in therapeutic levels.

The conclusion of the acquisition of Somanta by Access as anticipated in
the Letter of Intent is subject to a number of conditions, including,
without limitation negotiation of a definitive acquisition agreement
which will contain standard and customary provisions, completion of due
diligence to the full satisfaction of each party, approval by the respective
Boards of Directors and by Somanta shareholders, completion of all
government filings and receipt of all necessary government approvals and
all required third party consents.

This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking
within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to
the number of, and percentage of the combined company represented by, the
shares to be received by Somanta's shareholders, the product portfolio and
pipeline and clinical program of the combined company, the effectiveness
of PB as a therapy and Somanta's belief that Alchemix and Prodrax
have the ability to overcome many different pathways of drug resistance.
These statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not
limited to risks detailed in Access's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2005, Somanta's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for
the year ended April 30, 2006 and other reports filed by the companies
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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