ContraFect Announces Agreement With The Rockefeller University for New Staph Lysin

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Sep 21, 2011) - ContraFect Corporation, the company that is pioneering the use of recombinant proteins for the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria, announced that it has licensed from The Rockefeller University the latest and most potent Lysin enzyme discovered to date.

Lysins are enzymes that dissolve and kill tens of millions of bacteria in seconds. Each Lysin is specific to a single type of bacteria and does not cause the side effects or drug resistance that commonly occur with antibiotics and renders them ineffective. Lysins are remarkably safe, reacting only with targeted bacteria and have no effect on human cells.

Robert Nowinski, CEO and Chairman of ContraFect, said, "With the addition of this latest Lysin (referred to as CF-301), our second against Staphylococcus, ContraFect has added depth to its clinical program and pipeline. CF-301 is an extraordinary enzyme; it is produced by fermentation at concentrations exceeding 5g/L, is soluble, stable and potent." The Lysin was discovered by Dr. Vincent Fischetti at The Rockefeller University, who is the first scientist to produce a recombinant Lysin for therapeutic and prophylactic use.

"This is a great day for ContraFect," remarked Barry Kappel, VP of Business Development. "CF-301 moves directly to the front of our pipeline and we anticipate having an IND-submission to the FDA for this product in Q2 2012. Its potent activity against all forms of Staph infections, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant strains (VISA/VRSA), makes this molecule of extreme importance, not only to ContraFect, but world-wide as well."

ContraFect's two programs for Staph open a unique therapeutic approach. The Lysins possess a therapeutic window that occurs virtually instantly while the Monoclonal Antibodies remain in the blood stream for weeks and provide long-term benefit. This combined approach is of particular importance in treating drug-resistant bacteria.

Dr. Nowinski concluded, "We believe the use of Lysins and Monoclonal Antibodies for the treatment of life-threatening infectious diseases will have significant implications for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly MRSA which has become the single most critical infection in the hospital and now is responsible for more deaths in the United States than HIV."

About ContraFect:

ContraFect Corporation is a biotechnology company pioneering the use of Lysins and Monoclonal Antibodies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases. ContraFect's initial products include agents to treat diseases such as MRSA (drug-resistant staphylococcus bacteria), other serious bacterial infections, and influenza.

Our scientific approach is based on the following principles:

• Monoclonal Antibodies for the treatment of life-threatening bacterial and viral diseases
• Lysins for the treatment of drug-resistant gram positive bacteria, such as staphylococcus (MRSA), streptococcus and intestinal infections
• Transition from conventional monotherapy to a combinatorial approach using multi-therapy antibody and Lysin treatments
• Address the growing challenge of drug-resistance and therapy escape mechanisms used by pathogens

About The Rockefeller University:

Founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1901, The Rockefeller University was this nation's first biomedical research institution. Hallmarks of the University include a research environment that provides scientists with the support they need to do imaginative science, a high quality research hospital, and a truly international graduate program that is unmatched for the freedom and resources it provides students to develop their capacities for innovative research.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein that do not describe historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.