CASI Pharmaceuticals Announces Initial Closing Of Its Strategic Financing With Receipt Of $10.3 Million Proceeds

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to innovative therapeutics addressing cancer and other unmet medical needs, announces it has received approximately $10.3 million in a strategic financing previously announced on September 21, 2015.  The initial closing yielded approximately $10.1 million after minimum offering expenses.  The Company closed on 8,448,613 shares of Common Stock, priced at $1.190 per share, and 1,689,722 warrants, with a purchase price of $0.125 per warrant.  The warrants will become exercisable three months after issuance at $1.69 per share exercise price, and will expire three years from the date the warrants become exercisable.  Net proceeds will be used primarily to accelerate its product and business development activities and for other general corporate purposes. 

Ken Ren, Ph.D., CASI's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased with the continued confidence of our investors. This funding will allow us to enrich our product pipeline through both in-license and internal development at a faster pace and to expand our regulatory and clinical activities to reach our planned milestones, which include registration activities for our in-licensed drugs and furthering the development of ENMD-2076 and our other drug candidates.  We are pleased with our progress and look forward to further advancements with the proceeds from this initial closing."

About CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CASI is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics addressing cancer and other unmet medical needs for the global market with a commercial focus on China. CASI's product pipeline includes exclusive rights to ZEVALIN^® (ibritumomab tiuxetan), MARQIBO^® (vinCRIStine sulfate LIPOSOME injection) and EVOMELA (CE-Melphalan HCI for injection) for greater China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau). CASI's development pipeline also includes its proprietary drug candidate ENMD-2076, a selective angiogenic kinase inhibitor currently in multiple Phase 2 oncology studies, and 2ME2 (2-methoxyestradial) currently under reformulation development. CASI is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland and has a wholly owned subsidiary and R&D operations in Beijing, China. More information on CASI is available at www.casipharmaceuticals.com and in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act with respect to the outlook for expectations for future financial or business performance, strategies, expectations and goals, including, without limitation, with respect to the closing of the private placement offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds.  Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and no duty to update forward-looking statements is assumed.  Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, including: the risk that the final closing of the private placement offering does not occur, that we may be unable to continue as a going concern as a result of our inability to raise sufficient capital for our operational needs; the possibility that we may be delisted from trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market; the volatility in the market price of our common stock; risks relating to interests of our largest stockholders that differ from our other stockholders; the risk of substantial dilution of existing stockholders in future stock issuances, including as a result of the closing of the private placement offering; the difficulty of executing our business strategy in China; our inability to enter into strategic partnerships for the development, commercialization, manufacturing and distribution of our proposed product candidates or future candidates; risks relating to the need for additional capital and the uncertainty of securing additional funding on favorable terms; risks associated with our product candidates; risks associated with any early-stage products under development; the risk that results in preclinical models are not necessarily indicative of clinical results; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical trials, including delays to the commencement of such trials; the lack of success in the clinical development of any of our products; dependence on third parties; and risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed products (such as marketing, safety, regulatory, patent, product liability, supply, competition and other risks).  Such factors, among others, could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations and financial condition.  We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date made. Additional information about the factors and risks that could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, are contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov.

ZEVALIN^® MARQIBO^® and EVOMELA are proprietary to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its affiliates.

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SOURCE CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.