Cell Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Data Presentations at the 18th Congress of the European Hematology Association

SEATTLE, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) today announced the upcoming presentation of data highlighting PIXUVRI^® (pixantrone), the first approved treatment in the European Union for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) for adult patients who have failed 2 to 3 prior lines of therapy, and results from a pooled analysis of data from completed Phase 1 and 2 studies of pacritinib, a novel, oral JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor, at the 18^th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting, June 13-16, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden.

"At EHA, we plan to present further analyses of the final safety and efficacy data from our EXTEND pivotal trial of PIXUVRI that we believe expand our understanding of the potential clinical benefit for patients with aggressive B-cell NHL who had received 2 to 3 prior regimens," said Jack Singer, M.D., Executive Vice President, Global Medical Affairs and Translational Medicine at CTI. "In addition, at EHA, results from a pooled integrated safety analysis from four Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials will be presented that quantify clinical toxicities of pacritinib, our novel, oral JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor currently being investigated in a Phase 3 clinical program."

Information regarding the EHA presentations is below. Full abstracts can be viewed at the EHA website.

Abstract Number: P310
Poster Title: Pixantrone monotherapy in histologically confirmed, relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Post-hoc analyses from a Phase 3 trial
Presentation Date/Time/Location: Friday, June 14, 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. CEST, Poster Hall
First Author: Dr. Ruth Pettengell, St. George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom

Abstract Number: P278
Poster Title: Safety overview of phase I-II studies of pacritinib, a non-myelosuppressive JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor, in patients with hematological malignancies
Presentation Date/Time/Location: Friday, June 14, 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. CEST, Poster Hall
First Author: Dr. S. Verstovsek, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States

Abstract Number: P983
Poster Title: Characterization of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of pacritinib, a novel oral JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor, in patients with myelofibrosis, AML and lymphoma
Presentation Date/Time/Location: Poster session, Saturday, June 15, 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. CEST, Poster Hall
First Author: Dr. Suliman Al-Fayoumi, Cell Therapeutics, Seattle, United States

About PIXUVRI (pixantrone)

PIXUVRI is a novel aza-anthracenedione with unique structural and physiochemical properties. Unlike related compounds, PIXUVRI forms stable DNA adducts and in preclinical models has superior anti-lymphoma activity compared to related compounds. PIXUVRI was structurally designed so that it cannot bind iron and perpetuate oxygen radical production or form a long-lived hydroxyl metabolite -- both of which are the putative mechanisms for anthracycline induced acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. These novel pharmacologic properties allow PIXUVRI to be administered to patients with near maximal lifetime exposure to anthracyclines without unacceptable rates of cardiotoxicity.

In May 2012, the European Commission granted conditional marketing authorization for PIXUVRI as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive NHL based on the results of the EXTEND, or PIX301, pivotal randomized Phase 3 clinical trial. The benefit of PIXUVRI treatment has not been established in patients when used as fifth line or greater chemotherapy in patients who are refractory to last therapy. The Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) has the full prescribing information, including the safety and efficacy profile of PIXUVRI in the approved indication. The SmPC is available at www.pixuvri.eu. CTI is currently accruing patients into a Phase 3 trial comparing PIXUVRI and rituximab with gemcitabine and rituximab in the setting of aggressive B-cell NHL. PIXUVRI does not have marketing approval in the United States.

About Pacritinib

Pacritinib is an oral, once-a-day, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with dual activity against JAK2 and FLT3. The JAK family of enzymes are a central component in signal transduction pathways, which are critical to normal blood cell growth and development as well as inflammatory cytokine expression and immune responses. Mutations in these kinases have been shown to be directly related to the development of a variety of blood related cancers including myeloproliferative neoplasms, leukemia and lymphoma. Pacritinib may offer an advantage over other JAK inhibitors through effective treatment of symptoms while having less treatment-emergent thrombocytopenia and anemia than has been seen in currently approved and in-development JAK inhibitors. Pacritinib has demonstrated encouraging results in Phase 1 and 2 studies for patients with myelofibrosis. Pacritinib has orphan drug designation in the U.S. and Europe.

About Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

CTI (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of an integrated portfolio of oncology products aimed at making cancer more treatable. CTI is headquartered in Seattle, WA. For additional information and to sign up for email alerts and get RSS feeds, please visit www.CellTherapeutics.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, the outcome of which could materially and/or adversely affect actual future results and the market price of CTI's securities. Specifically, the risks and uncertainties that could affect the development of PIXUVRI and pacritinib include risks associated with preclinical and clinical developments in the biopharmaceutical industry in general and with PIXUVRI and pacritinib in particular including, without limitation, the potential failure of PIXUVRI to prove safe and effective for the treatment of relapsed or refractory NHL and/or other tumors as determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); that results in future studies of PIXUVRI may differ from the results of past studies; that CTI may not be able to complete the PIX306 clinical trial of PIXUVRI-rituximab compared to gemcitabine-rituximab in patients who have relapsed after 1 to 3 prior regimens for aggressive B-cell NHL and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant by June 2015 or at all as required by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or have the results of such trial available by June 2015 or at all; that CTI may not be able complete a post-marketing study aimed at confirming the clinical benefit of PIXUVRI that was observed in the PIX301 trial; that the conditional marketing authorization for PIXUVRI may not be renewed; the potential failure of pacritinib to prove safe and effective for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis, either alone or in combination regimens, as determined by the FDA and/or EMA; that pacritinib may not satisfy a medical need not currently addressed with existing non-selective JAK1/JAK2 inhibitors; that the Phase III clinical trials of pacritinib may not occur as planned; that CTI may not be able to successfully implement its plans, strategies and objectives related to the development of pacritinib; that CTI cannot predict or guarantee the pace or geography of enrollment of its clinical trials or the total number of patients enrolled; that CTI's average net operating burn rate may increase; CTI's may not be able to continue to raise capital as needed to fund its operations in general, and other risks, including, without limitation, competitive factors, technological developments, costs of developing, producing, and selling PIXUVRI and pacritinib, and the risk factors listed or described from time to time in CTI's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, CTI's most recent filings on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Except as may be required by law, CTI does not intend to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

References:
1. European Cancer Observatory, Cancer Fact Sheets, 2008
2. Harris NL, et al. Ann Oncol. 1999;10(12):1419-32
3. Friedberg ASH Education Book 2011;1:498-505

PIXUVRI is a registered trademark of Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

CTI Media and Investor Contacts:
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mgreer@ctiseattle.com

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invest@ctiseattle.com

In Europe
CTI Life Sciences Limited, Milan Branch

Laura Villa
Elena Bellacicca

E: CTI_EUInvestors@CTI-Lifesciences.com
T: +39 02 89659700
F: +39 02 89659719
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SOURCE Cell Therapeutics, Inc.