Exhibit 99.1


                              N E W S R E L E A S E

     Fast Track Designation Approved by FDA for Aphton's G17DT Anti-Gastrin
                      Immunogen for gastric Cancer Therapy

                                February 21, 2003

Miami, FL - Aphton Corporation (NASDAQ:  APHT) - Aphton announced today that the
US FDA has reviewed and granted Aphton's request for Fast Track  designation for
its G17DT  (anti-gastrin)  immunogen in combination with cisplatin and 5-FU "for
use in stage IV gastric cancer to improve  overall  survival." See Aphton's news
release dated  February 6, 2003 for the latest  clinical  trial results from its
phase II gastric cancer trial with G17DT in combination with cisplatin and 5-FU.

Fast Track is a formal  mechanism to interact with the FDA using approaches that
are available to all applicants for marketing claims. The benefits of Fast Track
include scheduled  meetings to seek FDA input into development plans, the option
of  submitting a New Drug  Application  in sections  rather than all  components
simultaneously,  and the  option  of  requesting  evaluation  of  studies  using
surrogate endpoints.  The Fast Track designation is intended for the combination
of a  product  and a  claim  that  addresses  an  unmet  medical  need,  but  is
independent of the FDA's priority review and accelerated approval mechanisms.

It is  estimated  that there are  approximately  570,000  patients  with gastric
cancer in the US, Europe and Japan,  alone.  The prognosis for the  overwhelming
majority of these  patients is very poor.  Patients  diagnosed  with  metastatic
disease have five-year  survival rates of only about three percent.  Surgery and
chemotherapy are the primary  treatment  options  currently,  but these regimens
have shown only very limited  benefit.  Aphton  believes  that its  anti-gastrin
targeted  immunotherapy  approach has the potential to extend  patient  survival
without adding toxicity.

Aphton is conducting one Phase III and three Phase II clinical trials.  Aphton's
anti-gastrin  targeted therapy induces  antibodies in patients that bind to both
gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin and remove them from circulation before they can bind
to the cancer cell and initiate  cell  growth.  Gastrin 17 and  gly-gastrin  are
believed to be central  growth  factors,  or the  initiating  signals,  for cell
growth,  cell  proliferation and metastasis  (spread) in gastric,  i.e. stomach,
pancreatic,  esophageal,  colorectal  and  other  gastrointestinal  (GI)  system
cancers.  This signaling program is accomplished by gastrin binding to the large
numbers of gastrin  receptors  which appear,  de novo, in the great  majority of
cases,  on  tumor  cell  surfaces   throughout  the   gastrointestinal   system.
Interrupting  this process by immunizing the patient with Aphton's  anti-gastrin
immunogen is a precisely "targeted" immunotherapy. This specificity of targeting
only cancer cells occurs  because  gastrin is not normally  secreted and gastrin
receptors  are not normally  found on "healthy"  cells in the GI system,  unless
they are  malignant,  or on the  path to  malignancy  (except  for  those  cells
involved with normal acid secretion).

<PAGE>

Recent  findings  have shown that  inhibiting  gastrin  not only  inhibits  cell
growth,  proliferation  and metastasis  directly,  but also "unblocks" a central
pathway leading to cell-suicide  (apoptosis).  This tilts the balance, from cell
growth, to cell suicide. This effect is amplified  synergistically when Aphton's
drug is given together with a chemotherapeutic drug. Gastrin also stimulates the
secretion and expression of other important  growth factors and receptors within
and on the  surfaces  of the  cancer  cells  involved  in tumor  growth.  Hence,
inhibiting  gastrin inhibits all of the foregoing factors  contributing to tumor
growth  and  spread,  while  simultaneously  opening a central  pathway  to cell
suicide.  Aphton's  anti-gastrin targeted therapy adds a biological dimension to
the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Aphton Corporation is a biopharmaceutical  company developing products using its
innovative  targeted  immunotherapy  technology for  neutralizing  hormones that
participate  in  gastrointestinal  system  and  reproductive  system  cancer and
non-cancer  diseases;  and the  prevention  of  pregnancy.  Aphton has strategic
alliances with Aventis  Pasteur for treating  gastrointestinal  system and other
cancers with G17DT in North America and Europe; GlaxoSmithKline for reproductive
system cancer and non-cancer diseases worldwide; and others.

Except for the historical  information  herein, the matters discussed herein are
forward-looking  statements that involve a number or risks and uncertainties and
are not a guarantee of future performance. Future results may vary significantly
based on a  number  of  factors  including,  but not  limited  to,  intellectual
property  risks,  risks in regulatory and market  acceptance of new products and
continuing  demand for same,  the impact of  competitive  products  and pricing,
changing  economic  conditions  and other risk  factors that are inherent in the
drug development process and the company's business including those set forth in
Aphton's  most recent 10-K and other  filings with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risk factors that
could cause actual  results to differ from expected or historical  results.  The
company's actual results could differ from these forward-looking  statements and
the company  undertakes  no obligation  to update  publicly any  forward-looking
statement.


Contact: Aphton Corporation; Investor Relations, J.L. Whitmore, 305-374-7338.

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