Cell Therapeutics Receives Remaining $5 million Under Existing Loan Financing Agreement

SEATTLE, Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) today announced that CTI has received the remaining $5 million from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. HTGC available under the existing loan agreement that was established in March 2013.  Further information with respect to this loan with Hercules will be available in a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be filed by CTI with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

About Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Cell Therapeutics (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.

About Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., HTGC is the leading specialty finance company focused on providing senior secured loans to venture capital-backed companies in technology-related markets, including technology, biotechnology, life science and energy and renewables technology industries, at all stages of development. Since inception (December 2003), Hercules has committed more than $3.9 billion to over 250 companies and is the lender of choice for entrepreneurs and venture capital firms seeking growth capital financing. For more information please visit www.htgc.com, or call 650-289-3060.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, the outcome of which could materially and/or adversely affect actual future results and the trading price of CTI's securities.  Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding CTI's expectations with respect to the development of CTI.  Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, among others, risks associated with the biopharmaceutical industry in general and with CTI and its product and product candidate portfolio in particular including, among others, risks associated with the following: that CTI cannot predict or guarantee the pace or geography of enrollment of its clinical trials, that CTI cannot predict or guarantee the outcome of preclinical and clinical studies, that CTI may not obtain favorable determinations by other regulatory, patent and administrative governmental authorities, that CTI may experience delays in the commencement of preclinical and clinical studies, risks related to the costs of developing pacritinib and CTI's other product candidates, and other risks, including, without limitation, competitive factors, technological developments, that CTI's operating expenses continue to exceed its net revenues, that CTI may not be able to sustain its current cost controls or further reduce its operating expenses, that CTI may not achieve previously announced goals and objectives as or when projected, that CTI's average net operating burn rate may increase, that CTI will continue to need to raise capital to fund its operating expenses, but may not be able to raise sufficient amounts to fund its continued operation as well as other risks listed or described from time to time in CTI's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.  Except as required by law, CTI does not intend to update any of the statements in this press release upon further developments.

Contacts:
Monique Greer
+1 206-272-4343
mgreer@ctiseattle.com

Ed Bell
+1 206-282-7100
ebell@ctiseattle.com

In Europe:

CTI Life Sciences Limited, Milan Branch
Laura Villa
+39 02 89659706
lvilla@cti-lifesciences.com
CTI_EUInvestors@CTI-Lifesciences.com

SOURCE Cell Therapeutics, Inc.