CTI BioPharma Appoints Alan K. Burnett, M.D. As Therapeutic Area Lead, Myeloid Diseases

SEATTLE, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CTI BioPharma Corp. (CTI BioPharma) (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) announced today the appointment of Alan K. Burnett, M.D., to serve as the strategic leader for myeloid development. Dr. Burnett most recently served as Professor and Head of the Department of Haematology in the Institute of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University and is highly regarded internationally for his work in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Dr. Burnett will be responsible for creating and implementing the strategic development program for CTI BioPharma's compounds in myeloid malignancies with a major focus on supplementing CTI BioPharma's current late-stage development programs in chronic myeloproliferative diseases and international development programs in other myeloid malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemias and myelodysplasia. Dr. Burnett will also help to identify promising earlier stage targets and therapeutics for potential development collaborations.

"I am pleased to join CTI BioPharma at such an exciting time in its evolution. CTI BioPharma's efforts to develop novel, targeted therapies for blood-related cancers are aligned with my own, as I believe there remains a significant unmet medical need for new therapies for patients, particularly older patients with AML and high-risk MDS," said Dr. Burnett. "I have personally worked with pacritinib and tosedostat clinically and in the lab and am impressed with the potential of CTI BioPharma's current pipeline of drug candidates. I am excited to take on a major role in their development and look forward to assisting CTI BioPharma to identify and develop additional novel agents with the potential to change therapeutic approaches to these diseases."

"Dr. Burnett is one of the world's leading clinical investigators in blood-related cancers with leadership roles in major cooperative groups and medical societies, and we are thrilled to have him join CTI BioPharma to help advance our programs for these diseases," said Jack Singer, M.D., Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs at CTI BioPharma. "Alan's leadership, experience with clinical trials and drug development, and relationships with the senior leadership of major institutions, will be invaluable to assist CTI BioPharma in performing scientifically rigorous development of our novel compounds.  Moreover, Alan's experience in bringing new agents into advanced clinical trials in AML is unique and will be of great benefit to us as we move both pacritinib and tosedostat forward in AML."

Dr. Burnett trained at Glasgow University in the United Kindgdom (UK). He did postgraduate research in the Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, and returned to Glasgow where he established the Stem Cell Programme, including the first autografts in AML in remission. He was appointed Chair of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Adult Leukaemia Working Party in 1989 and has acted as a coordinator of numerous MRC large hematologic cancer clinical trials. He was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Haematology at the University of Wales College of Medicine (now Cardiff University) in 1992. In 2002, the National Cancer Research Institute was established in the UK and Dr. Burnett was appointed as Chair of the National Cancer Research Institute Haematological Oncology Study Group until 2006. Dr. Burnett has served on numerous advisory committees, and is past President of the British Society of Haematology and Chair of the UK National Training Programme. He was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2002, was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Society for Haematology in 2004 and was appointed as an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to Medicine in 2008, and gave the prestigious Ham Wasserman Lecture at the American Society of Hematology meeting in 2012.

About CTI BioPharma

CTI BioPharma Corp. (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel targeted therapies covering a spectrum of blood-related cancers that offer a unique benefit to patients and healthcare providers. CTI BioPharma has a commercial presence in Europe and a late-stage development pipeline, including pacritinib, CTI BioPharma's lead product candidate that is currently being studied in a Phase 3 program for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis. CTI BioPharma is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices in London and Milan under the name CTI Life Sciences Limited. For additional information and to sign up for email alerts and get RSS feeds, please visit www.ctibiopharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, the outcome of which could materially and/or adversely affect actual future results and the trading price of CTI BioPharma's securities. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding CTI BioPharma's expectations with respect to the development of CTI BioPharma and its product and product candidate portfolio, the creation and implementation of a strategic development program for CTI BioPharma's compounds in myeloid malignancies, the identification of earlier stage targets and therapeutics for potential collaborations, the identification and development of novel agents with the potential to change therapeutic approaches, performing scientifically rigorous development of our compounds, the benefits of collaborations and the ability to maximize potential of product candidates, and CTI BioPharma's ability to achieve its objectives and projections (including that of advancing CTI BioPharma's various clinical trials and evaluating and developing product candidates in other indications in the future). Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, among others, risks associated with the biopharmaceutical industry in general and with CTI BioPharma and its product and product candidate portfolio in particular including, among others, risks associated with the following: that CTI BioPharma cannot predict or guarantee the commencement or outcome of preclinical and clinical studies or trials, that CTI BioPharma may not obtain favorable determinations by regulatory, patent and administrative governmental authorities, risks related to the costs of developing, producing and selling PIXUVRI, pacritinib, tosedostat and CTI BioPharma's other product candidates, and other risks, including, without limitation, competitive factors, technological developments, that CTI BioPharma may not be able to complete projected collaborations for its compounds,  that CTI BioPharma may not achieve previously announced goals and objectives as or when projected, as well as other risks listed or described from time to time in CTI BioPharma's most recent filings with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.  Except as required by law, CTI BioPharma does not intend to update any of the statements in this press release upon further developments.

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SOURCE CTI BioPharma Corp.