1







                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

ARONEX PHARMACEUTICALS COMPLETES $8.1 MILLION PRIVATE PLACEMENT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Nasdaq National Market: ARNX), announced today that approximately $8.1 million
was raised in its recent private placement. The Company sold units at $100,000
per unit. Each unit consisted of 36,364 shares of Aronex Pharmaceuticals common
stock and a five-year warrant to purchase 12,121 shares of Aronex
Pharmaceuticals common stock at an exercise price of $3.00 per share. Paramount
Capital, Inc. acted as financial advisor.

The private placement was not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and
was made in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act. Shares of common stock may not be offered or sold by the
purchasers of such shares without registration under the Securities Act or an
applicable exemption from registration. The Company expects to file for
registration of the shares under the Securities Act within thirty days of the
closing.

Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and
commercializes proprietary innovative medicines to treat cancer and infectious
diseases. Aronex Pharmaceuticals currently has four products in clinical
development, two of which (ATRAGEN(R) and Nyotran(R)) are in an advanced stage.
For more information about Aronex Pharmaceuticals, please visit the Company's
web site at http://www.aronex-pharm.com.