Spring Bank Announces Collaborative Research Agreement with University of Texas Southwestern Medical School for Evaluation of STING Antagonist Compounds

HOPKINTON, Mass., Aug. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc. SBPH, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections, inflammatory diseases and certain cancers, today announced that it has entered into a research agreement with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (UTSW) to evaluate Spring Bank's novel small molecule STING antagonist compounds.

Spring Bank has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for the evaluation of Spring Bank's STimulator of INterferon Gene (STING) antagonist compounds. Dr. Nan Yan, as Principal Investigator, will evaluate Spring Bank's STING antagonist compounds in autoimmune disease models.

"There is a significant unmet medical need for the treatment of diseases where the cGAS-STING pathway is dysregulated. We are excited to collaborate with Spring Bank in the evaluation of these novel STING antagonist compounds in mouse models of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," stated Dr. Nan Yan, Associate Professor and Rita C. and William P. Clements, Jr. Scholar in Medical Research at the UTSW Medical Center.

Spring Bank is designing its STING antagonist compounds to block aberrant STING-dependent signaling by a novel mechanism of action. These compounds are being developed to have therapeutic utility in certain autoimmune diseases, including various interferonopathies.

"We are excited to work with the scientists from UTSW as we advance our STING antagonist program," said Kris Iyer, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Spring Bank. "Dr. Yan is considered a leading expert in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and this collaborative research will enhance our knowledge of the non-clinical efficacy profile of novel compounds from our STING antagonist R&D program."

About Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals
Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of a novel class of therapeutics using its proprietary small molecule nucleotide platform. The company designs its compounds to selectively target and modulate the activity of specific proteins implicated in various disease states. The company's lead product candidate, inarigivir, is being developed for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). Inarigivir is designed to activate within hepatic cells retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I), which has been shown to inhibit HBV viral replication and induce the intracellular interferon signaling pathways for antiviral defense. The company is also developing its lead STING agonist product candidate, SB 11285, an immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of selected cancers. For more information, please visit www.springbankpharm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, about Spring Bank's future expectations, plans and prospects. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the company's planned timing expectations for its STING antagonist research and development programs. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "will," "would," "could," "potential," "possible," "hope," "likelihood" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: Spring Bank's ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its product candidates; any delay of any current or planned non-clinical or clinical trials or the development of any product candidate; whether Spring Bank's product candidates will advance through the clinical trial process on a timely basis, or at all; whether Spring Bank's cash resources will be sufficient to fund its continuing operations for the periods and/or trials anticipated; whether the results of such trials will warrant submission for approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies; whether Spring Bank's product candidates will receive approval from regulatory agencies on a timely basis or at all; whether, if product candidates obtain approval, they will be successfully distributed and marketed; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Spring Bank's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 11, 2019 and in other filings Spring Bank makes with the SEC from time to time.

In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Spring Bank's views as of the date hereof. Spring Bank anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Spring Bank's views to change. However, while Spring Bank may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Spring Bank specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Spring Bank's views as of any date after the date hereof.

Investors:
Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jonathan Freve
Chief Financial Officer
(508) 473-5993

LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Ashley R. Robinson
(617) 535-7742
Ashley@lifesciadvisors.com

Media:
McNeil, Gray & Rice
Kristin Nugent
Senior Account Supervisor
(617) 367-0100

Source: Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc.