EXHIBIT 99.1

                                [CANCERVAX LOGO]

COMPANY CONTACT:
Vince Reardon
CancerVax Corporation
Sr. Director, Investor Relations
(760) 494-4850

       CANCERVAX CORPORATION ANNOUNCES $18 MILLION CONSTRUCTION FINANCING
                      FOR MANUFACTURING FACILITY EXPANSION

CARLSBAD, CA (December 28, 2004) - CancerVax Corporation (NASDAQ:CNVX) today
announced that it has secured an $18 million loan from Silicon Valley Bank to
expand the production capacity of its biologics manufacturing facility in the
Los Angeles, California area.

The Company will use the funds primarily to construct and equip an additional
production suite in its existing manufacturing facility, and to create
additional warehouse and laboratory space to support the manufacture of
Canvaxin(TM), the Company's lead product candidate, which is being studied in
two, international, Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with
Stage III or Stage IV, or advanced-stage, melanoma.

"This expansion is a major step in our strategy of global development and
commercialization of Canvaxin with our new global development and
commercialization partner, Serono," said David F. Hale, President and Chief
Executive Officer. "It's critically important to increase our production
capacity to ensure, assuming the receipt of regulatory marketing authorization,
a successful product launch of Canvaxin in the U.S. and abroad."

ABOUT CANVAXIN(TM)

Canvaxin, one of a new class of products being developed in the area of specific
active immunotherapy, is based on a proprietary technology that may potentially
be applied to treat a number of cancers. Canvaxin has both orphan drug and fast
track designations from the FDA for the treatment of invasive and metastatic
melanoma, respectively, and is currently being studied in two international
Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage
melanoma. In September 2004, CancerVax completed the planned enrollment of 1,118
patients into its Phase 3 clinical trial of Canvaxin for the treatment of
patients with Stage III melanoma, and, as of December 23, 2004, 462 patients out
of a planned total enrollment of 670 patients had been enrolled in the clinical
trial of Canvaxin for the treatment of patients with Stage IV melanoma.

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, is one of
a new class of products being developed in the area of specific active
immunotherapy, also known as therapeutic cancer vaccines. In addition to
Canvaxin, CancerVax has licensed three specific active immunotherapeutic product
candidates targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway,
including SAI-EGF, which has been studied in Phase 2 clinical trials. The
Company plans to identify and develop new product candidates based on its
proprietary specific active immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis and T-oligo, or
telomere homolog

                                        1


oligonucleotide, technology. CancerVax's corporate headquarters and research and
development facility is located in Carlsbad, California, 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. These
forward-looking statements include statements about the potential successful
product launch of Canvaxin and the expansion of the Company's manufacturing
capacity. 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: the risk that the expansion of the manufacturing facility is delayed
or does not result in increased production capacity; the risk that CancerVax may
be required to pre-pay the debt incurred to expand its manufacturing capacity
prior to the termination of the loan because of a failure to comply with
covenants included in the loan agreement; the risk that its collaboration
agreement with Serono may be terminated by Serono in certain instances;
CancerVax's limited experience in manufacturing and testing biological products,
which may result in delayed development or commercialization of Canvaxin, as
well as lost revenue; the progress and timing of the clinical trials of
Canvaxin; the potential that results of Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of
Canvaxin, which were evaluated using retrospective survival analyses that may be
subject to potential selection biases, may not be predictive of future results
of the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials; difficulties or delays in researching,
developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing
Canvaxin; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of
Canvaxin that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization,
or that could result in recalls or product liability claims; CancerVax's
inability to protect its intellectual property and proprietary technology and to
maintain and enforce its licensing arrangements with respect to Canvaxin; the
scope and validity of patent protection for Canvaxin; competition from other
pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; 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.

                                       ###

                                        2