Cellceutix Alerts Shareholders to National Media on Anti-Cancer Abilities of p53

BEVERLY, MA--(Marketwired - October 09, 2015) - Cellceutix Corporation (OTC: CTIX) (the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies with oncology, dermatology and antimicrobial applications, today would like to highlight recent national media articles focused on p53 and the potential of the protein's key tumor-suppressing role in controlling cancer.

Cellceutix's lead cancer compound Kevetrin, is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with solid tumors. Kevetrin has shown to induce activation of p53, often referred to as the "Guardian Angel Gene" due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. In the Phase 1 trial, p53 activity is evidenced through increased expression of p21, a downstream biomarker of p53.

Cellceutix is excited to see others' research and media attention emphasizing the importance of p53 and commends Dr. Joshua Schiffman, Dr. Vincent Lynch and their teams for their dedication. p53 is part of Cellceutix's daily operations, as the Company has long-believed that it is a key target for a new cancer therapy. For instance, in this past week, Cellceutix filed an Orphan Drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Kevetrin for pancreatic cancer; hosted a conference call with the FDA discussing Kevetrin for retinoblastoma; engaged in a collaboration with physicians at one of the most recognizable cancer hospitals in the U.S. in writing a grant application for researching Kevetrin for pancreatic cancer; and continued advancing the protocol for a mid-stage trial of Kevetrin for ovarian cancer.

The latest cover of Newsweek features the title, "Elephants Don't Get Cancer And Scientists Think They Know Why," as the headline to research by Dr. Joshua Schiffman and colleagues published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research provides a possible explanation to Peto's Paradox, a conundrum based upon the observation that the incidence of cancer doesn't correlate to the number of cells in an organism. In Dr. Schiffman's explanation, p53, a protein often called the "Guardian of the Genome" that is encoded by the gene TP53, is an evolutionary answer to controlling tumor progression.

Separately, the evolutionary geneticist Vincent Lynch, PhD, led a team at the University of Chicago researching TP53 in animals that delivered similar results as Dr. Schiffman. This paper was posted on bioRxiv.org and is under peer review at eLife.

The New York Times, Nature and NBC News were amongst high-profile media outlets publishing articles this week on these bodies of work. Links are provided below.

Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/2015/10/16/researchers-studying-elephants-improve-cancer-treatment-380822.html
The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/science/why-elephants-get-less-cancer.html?_r=0
Nature: http://www.nature.com/news/how-elephants-avoid-cancer-1.18534
NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/why-elephants-dont-get-cancer-n441141

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About Cellceutix:
Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Cellceutix is a publicly traded company under the symbol "CTIX". Cellceutix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in oncology, dermatology and antimicrobial applications. Cellceutix believes it has a world-class portfolio of compounds and is now engaged in advancing its compounds and seeking strategic partnerships. Cellceutix's anti-cancer drug Kevetrin is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers' Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In the laboratory Kevetrin has shown to induce activation of p53, often referred to as the "Guardian Angel Gene" due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Cellceutix is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of Oral Mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Brilacidin-OM, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative oral mucositis by more than 94% compared to placebo. Cellceutix's anti-psoriasis drug Prurisol is in a Phase 2 trial. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. Cellceutix's lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (Superbugs). Cellceutix has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

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