Matinas BioPharma Retains JSB Partners to Pursue Strategic Options for MAT9001
September 12 2017 - 7:30AM
– MAT9001 is a uniquely engineered omega-3 fatty
acid comprising docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) for the treatment of
hypertriglyceridemia –
Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (“Matinas BioPharma” or the
“Company”) (NYSE MKT:MTNB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on developing innovative anti-infectives for orphan
indications, today announced that it has retained JSB Partners, a
global life sciences advisor, to identify a partner for the
Company’s legacy cardiovascular product candidate, MAT9001.
MAT9001 is a uniquely engineered,
prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid medication comprising DPA and
is specifically designed to provide a differentiated
pharmacotherapy for the treatment of dyslipidemia.
“We believe that MAT9001, and its proprietary
gel cap delivery system, has the potential to be a best-in-class
product for the treatment of dyslipidemia. Although we
continue to focus our development efforts and resources on our
disruptive cochleate delivery platform technology given the vast
opportunity presented by our MAT2203 and MAT2501 infectious disease
products, we believe that it is the ideal time to formalize our
efforts to realize the potentially significant value that MAT9001
possesses, particularly in light of the forthcoming data from
Amarin’s REDUCE-IT outcomes trial due in 2018,” remarked Jerome D.
Jabbour, President and co-Founder of Matinas BioPharma. “We
are thrilled to be working with JSB Partners as we evaluate the
strategic opportunities available for MAT9001. JSB Partners’
experience and track record speaks for itself and we believe they
are well positioned to assist us in maximizing MAT9001’s value on a
domestic and international basis.”
In Matinas BioPharma’s head-to-head comparative
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study versus Amarin’s Vascepa®
(icosapent ethyl), MAT9001 met all of its primary and secondary
endpoints and demonstrated statistically significant superiority
over Vascepa for omega-3 bioavailability (baseline adjusted AUC and
Cmax, approximately 6-fold higher with MAT9001 on day 14, with very
high statistical significance) and triglyceride reduction (median
TG-reduction from baseline: -33.2% for MAT9001 versus -10.5% for
Vascepa; p<0.0001). MAT9001 also demonstrated a statistically
significantly greater reduction in total-cholesterol,
VLDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol for MAT9001 versus
Vascepa. In addition, MAT9001 demonstrated a statistically
significant reduction in PCSK9 versus Vascepa, which did not
decrease PCSK9 levels.
The comparator study was conducted in 42
patients with high triglyceride levels. Study subjects had fasting
TG levels of 200 to 400 mg/dL without lipid altering therapy, or
fasting TG levels of 200 to 350 mg/dL if they were on a stable-dose
statin monotherapy. Pre-treatment median values for lipids,
triglycerides, apolipoproteins and PCSK9 levels were measured.
Patients were randomized and put on MAT9001 or Vascepa for 14 days,
then washed out over five weeks, and then crossed over to Vascepa
or MAT9001 for 14 days. Forty patients completed the trial.
Wolfgang Stoiber, MD, MBA, of JSB Partners,
stated, "We are excited to be working with Matinas BioPharma on
establishing potential development and/or marketing partnerships
for MAT9001. We are impressed with the profile of this potential
best-in-class product and by the data generated to date in
humans. Over the last 18 years we have helped numerous
bio-pharmaceutical companies develop partnerships and joint
ventures for their respected products and look forward to the
possibility of completing a transaction on MAT9001."
Vascepa is indicated for use with a
lipid-lowering diet to reduce very high triglycerides in adult
patients and is a trademark of Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland
Ltd.
About
MAT9001 MAT9001 is a proprietary
prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid-based composition, comprising
docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and other omega-3 fatty acids, which is
under development for therapeutic applications with severe
hypertriglyceridemia (TG>500 mg/dL) as the lead indication.
Promising pre-clinical studies with DPA and MAT9001 indicate
distinctive therapeutic response properties. The Company believes
that its development program and related clinical investigations
may yield an improved therapeutic profile compared to existing
therapies, based on MAT9001's differentiating mechanistic features
associated with its unique composition.
About Matinas
BioPharma Matinas BioPharma is a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative
anti-infectives for orphan indications. The Company's proprietary,
disruptive technology utilizes lipid-crystal nano-particle
cochleates to nano-encapsulate existing drugs, making them safer,
more tolerable, less toxic and orally bioavailable.
The Company's lead anti-infective product
candidates, MAT2203 and MAT2501, position Matinas BioPharma to
become a leader in the safe and effective delivery of
anti-infective therapies utilizing its proprietary lipid-crystal
nano-particle cochleate formulation technology. For more
information, please visit www.matinasbiopharma.com and connect with
the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.
Forward Looking Statements:
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
including those relating to the Company's strategic focus and the
future development of its product candidates and other statements
that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future
events or conditions. All statements other than statements of
historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements include words such as
“expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,“ “could,” “believes,”
“estimates” and similar expressions. These statements involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause
actual results to be materially different from any future results
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the Company’s ability
to identify and pursue business development or partnership
opportunities for its products on favorable terms, if at all, our
ability to obtain additional capital to meet our liquidity needs on
acceptable terms, or at all, including the additional capital which
will be necessary to complete the clinical trials of our product
candidates; our ability to successfully complete research and
further development and commercialization of our product
candidates; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; the
timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; our
ability to protect the Company's intellectual property; the loss of
any executive officers or key personnel or consultants;
competition; changes in the regulatory landscape or the imposition
of regulations that affect the Company's products; and the other
factors listed under “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC,
including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which
speak only as of the date of this release. Except as may be
required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to
release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements
to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Matinas BioPharma’s
product candidates are all in a development stage and are not
available for sale or use.
Investor and Media
ContactJenene ThomasInvestor Relations and Corporate
Communications AdvisorJenene Thomas Communications, LLCPhone: +1
(908) 938-1475Email:
jenene@jenenethomascommunications.com