European Medicines Agency's Committee For Medicinal Products For Human Use Issues Positive Opinion For Conditional Approval On Marketing Authorization Application For Pixuvri™

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTIC) announced today that Pixuvri™ (pixantrone dimaleate) has been granted a positive opinion for conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use ("CHMP"). Based on the CHMP's recommendation, CTI expects that a conditional marketing authorization for Pixuvri should be granted by the European Commission within the next few months. CHMP recommended Pixuvri for conditional approval as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiple relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas.If the CHMP's recommendation is formally adopted by the European Commission, Pixuvri would be approved for marketing in the 27 countries that are members of the E.U., as well as the European Economic Area. The decision by the European Commission is typically issued approximately two to three months after the CHMP opinion and generally follows the recommendation from the CHMP. If the opinion is confirmed by the European Commission, Pixuvri would be the first drug approved for patients in this setting. "We are very pleased with the CHMP's positive recommendation recognizing the clinical benefit of Pixuvri in addressing a significant unmet medical need for patients with multiple relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell NHL, and we believe that Pixuvri will add an important treatment option for physicians and provide a meaningful impact on patients," stated James A. Bianco, CEO of CTI.