Galmed Pharmaceuticals Randomizes 120th Patient in the ARREST Trial

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. GLMD ("Galmed" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of a once-daily, oral therapy for the treatment of liver diseases, today announced that it had randomized half of the patients (N=120) in the ARREST Study.

"We are delighted to be able to announce the recruitment of 120 randomized patients ahead of our guidance. We believe our in-house clinical operations are a core competency of Galmed and has demonstrated our efficiency," stated Mr. Baharaff, Galmed's President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Baharaff continued "I am grateful to Mr. George Tonelli, Galmed's Vice President, Clinical Operations who leads a dedicated clinical team which manages and monitors approximately 50 clinical sites in the United States, Europe, Israel and LatAm.  I would like to personally thank each member of our clinical team for their tremendous efforts and support in helping us reach our goals."

Mr. Baharaff added "Timely execution is of paramount importance at Galmed, especially with regard to the pace of randomization in the ARREST Study.  Going forward, we remain committed to delivering on our expectation to reach full recruitment in the Arrest Trial during the fourth quarter, 2016."

About Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and it affects almost 30% of adults in Western countries. With climbing obesity rates and more sedentary patient populations, the prevalence of NAFLD is increasing worldwide and is becoming the predominant cause of chronic liver disease in parts of the world. NAFLD represents a spectrum of diseases ranging from simple excess liver fat, or steatosis, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is the progressive form of fatty liver disease that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis and liver-related mortality in persons who drink little or no alcohol. NASH represents the more severe end of this spectrum and is characterized by steatosis, ballooning degeneration and lobular inflammation with or without fibrosis. Long-term risks of NASH include cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and end stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation.

About Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.:
Galmed is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of a novel, once-daily, oral therapy for the treatment of liver diseases utilizing its proprietary first-in-class family of synthetic fatty-acid/bile-acid conjugates, or FABACs.  Galmed believes that its product candidate, Aramchol^™, has the potential to be a disease modifying treatment for fatty liver disorders, including NASH, which is a chronic disease that Galmed believes constitutes a large unmet medical need.  Galmed is currently conducting the ARREST Study, a multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb clinical study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aramchol^™ in subjects with NASH, who are overweight or obese, and who are pre-diabetic or type-II-diabetic.  More information about the ARREST Study may be found on ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02279524.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release may include forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Galmed's objectives, plans and strategies, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that Galmed intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future.  These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believes," "hopes," "may," "anticipates," "should," "intends," "plans," "will," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions and are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.  Applicable risks and uncertainties include risks and uncertainties associated with the timing, progress and results of the Company's research, preclinical studies and clinical trials as well as risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in Galmed's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on March 22, 2016, and in other filings that Galmed has made and may make with the SEC in the future.  The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and reflect Galmed's current views with respect to future events, and Galmed does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.