[November 29, 2016]

Biothera Pharmaceuticals Announces Data Demonstrating Unique Immune Response Profile Generated by Phase 2 Cancer Immunotherapy Imprime PGG

Biothera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will present data tomorrow illustrating the unique cytokine response generated by its phase 2 cancer immunotherapy Imprime PGG, the only Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterning (PAMP) molecule that has been successfully administered systemically. The data will be highlighted in two poster presentations at the 28th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Munich, Germany.

• Poster #321A: Imprime PGG, a yeast ß-glucan PAMP induces a unique cytokine profile and enhances immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy
• Poster #321B: Anti-beta glucan antibodies represent a mechanism-based biomarker to select patients responsive to the novel immunotherapeutic, Imprime PGG

Both posters will be presented at the Immunotherapy session on Wednesday, November 30, between 8:30am - 5:00pm in the exhibition hall.

Imprime PGG acts therapeutically as an immunological "ignition switch" to enlist the functionality of the innate immune system and to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor, tumor-targeting and anti-angiogenic antibodies. The Company has announced plans for phase 2 clinical studies to evaluate Imprime PGG in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in advanced melanoma, triple negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

PAMPs bind to a variety of Pattern Recognition Receptors on innate immune cells to trigger an immune response. Unlike Imprime PGG, bacterial and viral PAMPs are poorly tolerated - and are typically administered intra-tumorally - because they typically upregulate numerous potent cytokines that create a potentially lethal cytokine storm. In their research being reported this week, Biothera scientists compared the cytokine profiles of 18 different PAMPs, including Imprime PGG, by testing their ability to produce cytokines in an in vivo preclinical model and in whole blood from healthy human subjects. Only Imprime PGG elicited cytokines and chemokines responsible for immune cell mobilization, antigen presentation, and type 1 interferon genes without the induction of a broader cytokine storm.

"Imprime PGG is a unique, systemically administered PAMP that modulates the immune system and drives a coordinated adaptive immune response," said Jeremy Graff, Ph.D., Biothera Pharmaceuticals Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President, Research. "These qualities make Imprime an attractive candidate to synergize with checkpoint inhibitors and other cancer immunotherapies."

About Biothera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Biothera Pharmaceuticals is a privately held biotechnology company developing Imprime PGG, a mid-clinical stage cancer immunotherapy that orchestrates an integrated anti-cancer immune response in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, as well as tumor-targeting and anti-angiogenesis monoclonal antibodies. Imprime PGG has been well-tolerated in trials in over 400 subjects and has established proof of concept in multiple clinical studies, including single-arm and randomized phase 2 studies in NSCLC, colorectal cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Biothera Pharmaceuticals and Merck are advancing a phase 2 clinical research collaboration to evaluate Imprime PGG and Merck's anti-PD-1 inhibitor KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab) in patients with either advanced melanoma or metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The Companies are also collaborating with the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium to commence an Imprime PGG plus KEYTRUDA Phase 1b/2 study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

KEYTRUDA^® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp (News - Alert) & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006318/en/

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