Immune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. To Expand Bullous Pemphigoid Clinical Development Plan For Bertilimumab

NEW YORK, March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Immune", the "Company") (NASDAQ: IMNP) announced today that it intends to expand its planned bullous pemphigoid (BP) clinical development for bertilimumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting eotaxin-1. Bullous Pemphigoid is an orphan auto-immune blistering disease of the skin affecting approximately 60,000 patients in the US and Europe.

As previously announced, Immune expects to start enrolling patients in a Phase II clinical trial in Israel to be treated during the second quarter of 2015. Additionally, following an International Medical Advisory Board meeting held in San Francisco immediately prior to the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, Immune has decided to expand its clinical program to include US centers in the Phase II BP development program. The Company also intends to initiate studies to further investigate the relationship between eotaxin-1 levels and the Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Activity Index (BPDAI) and to assess the burden of illness from a medical and economic standpoint. Immune has formed an International Medical Advisory Board for the development of Bertilimumab in BP, with Key Opinion Leaders including Professor Neil Korman (Case Western, Cleveland, USA), Professor Russell Hall (Duke University, USA), Professor Pascal Joly (Rouen, France) and Professor Dedee Murrell (Sydney, Australia).

"Immune Pharmaceuticals is committed to better understanding this orphan disease and improving clinical outcomes and quality of life for patients with Bullous Pemphigoid and other auto-immune diseases," said Dr. Daniel Teper, CEO of Immune Pharmaceuticals.

About Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc. applies a personalized approach to treatment, developing novel, highly-targeted antibody therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with inflammatory diseases and cancer. The Company's lead product candidate, bertilimumab, is in clinical development for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease as well as bullous pemphigoid, an orphan auto-immune dermatological condition. Immune licensed worldwide rights for systemic indications of bertilimumab from iCo Therapeutics (TSX: ICO; OTCQX: ICOTF) in June 2011, while iCo retained rights to all ophthalmic indications. iCo originally licensed the exclusive world-wide rights to bertilimumab in 2006 from MedImmune, the Global Research and Development Arm of AstraZeneca.  Immune's pipeline also includes NanomAbs®, antibody nanoparticle conjugates, for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics, and AmiKet, a Neuropathic Pain drug candidate ready for Phase III. AmiKet has received Orphan Drug Designation for Post-Herpetic Neuralgia.

For more information, visit Immune's website at www.immunepharmaceuticals.com, the content of which is not a part of this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and any oral statements made with respect to the information contained in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  You are urged to consider statements that include the words "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues," "forecast," "designed," "goal" or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking.  Such forward-looking statements include statements that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets, future development and are otherwise not statements of historical fact. These statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or developments to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results or developments to differ materially include, but not limited to: the risks associated with the adequacy of our existing cash resources and our ability to continue as a going concern; the risks associated with our ability to continue to meet our obligations under our existing debt agreements; the risk that clinical trials for bertilimumab or AmiKet will not be successful; the risk that bertilimumab, AmiKet or compounds arising from our NanomAbs® program will not receive regulatory approval or achieve significant commercial success; the risk that we will not be able to find a partner to help conduct the Phase III trials for AmiKet on attractive terms, on a timely basis or at all; the risk that our other product candidates that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later-stage clinical trials; the risk that we will not obtain approval to market any of our product candidates; the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel; the risks associated with reliance on collaborative partners and others for further clinical trials, development, manufacturing and commercialization of our product candidates; the cost, delays and uncertainties associated with our scientific research, product development, clinical trials and regulatory approval process; our history of operating losses since our inception; the highly competitive nature of our business; risks associated with litigation; and risks associated with our ability to protect our intellectual property. These factors and other material risks are more fully discussed in our periodic reports, including our reports on Forms 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are urged to carefully review and consider the disclosures found in our filings which are available at www.sec.gov or at www.immunepharmaceuticals.com. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, any of which could turn out to be wrong due to inaccurate assumptions, unknown risks or uncertainties or other risk factors. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc.