Oxis International Comments On New York Times Article About Cancer Immunotherapy

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2016 / Oxis International Inc. OXIS, a company that has made significant strides in harnessing the immune system to fight cancer, today commented on a New York Times article that examined cancer immunotherapy.

Anthony J. Cataldo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxis, said that, "while the article brought national attention to advances in the fight against cancer, it failed to address the latest scientific progress in the effort to empower the body's own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells."

In July, Oxis announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Oxis Biotech Inc., has agreed to a major partnership with the University of Minnesota to develop and commercialize cancer therapies using TriKe technology developed by researchers at the university.

TriKE technology has several benefits compared to CAR-T therapy, which is very expensive and has been shown to carry significant side effects. Both Kite Pharma KITE and Juno Therapeutics Inc. JUNO have gained significant attention for their CAR-T efforts.

The Times' article, which carried the headline, "Harnessing the Immune System to Fight Cancer," examined the changing landscape in the way doctors treat cancer.

"They talk very highly about immunotherapy; but this is all very dated information," Cataldo said. "Oxis's Targeted Immunotherapy OXS-1550, OXS-1650 and OXS-3550 are so much further ahead and the target modality makes it truly disruptive and much more specific."

"The difference is non targeted therapies hope to kill specific cancers getting to a general area; but also killing healthy cells indiscriminately. Off the shelf targeted therapies on which Oxis is focused on involves leveraging the immune system to target and destroy specific cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. These are far more accurate, less invasive on the patient, less costly and much more effective."

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are currently treating patients in an FDA Phase 1/Phase 2 trial of OXS-1550. Oxis recently announced that six new patients had been added to the trial, bringing to 32 the number of patients participating.

All the new patients are given an approved increased dosage of OXS-1550. It was the increased dosage that was credited with the complete remission of patient Cynthia Cattell.

Ms. Cattell said all other treatments for her aggressive B-cell lymphoma had failed – until she was treated with OXS-1550.

She was the first patient to receive four infusions of the drug over an eight-day span in the Phase 1 clinical trial. One month later, a doctor overseeing the clinical trial found a 75 percent reduction in the size of Cattell's tumor. She has now been cancer-free for almost two years.

The medical journal Science Translational Medicine recently highlighted TriKe research by the University of Minnesota's cancer center.

Science Translational Medicine designated the research as an "Editors' Choice," and said, "TriKEs were superior in restoring potent antigen-specific NK cell responses against AML targets and mediated robust and specific NK cell proliferation."

ABOUT OXIS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Oxis International, Inc., through a wholly owned subsidiary, Oxis Biotech, Inc., develops innovative drugs focused on the treatment of cancer and other unmet medical needs. Oxis' lead drug candidate, OXS-1550 (DT2219ARL) is a novel bispecific scFv recombinant fusion protein-drug conjugate composed of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains of anti-CD19 and anti-CD22 antibodies and a modified form of diphtheria toxin as its cytotoxic drug payload. OXS-1550 simultaneously targets cancer cells expressing the CD19 receptor or CD22 receptor or both receptors. When OXS-1550 binds to cancer cells, the cancer cells internalize the drug and are killed due to the action of drug's cytotoxic payload. OXS-1550 has demonstrated success in early human clinical trials in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma or leukemia. OXS-4235 is a small molecule therapeutic candidate targeting the treatment of multiple myeloma and associated osteolytic lesions. In in vitro and in vivo models of multiple myeloma and osteoporosis, OXS-4235 demonstrated the ability to kill multiple myeloma cells, and decrease osteolytic lesions in bone. OXIS' lead drug candidate, OXS-2175, is a small molecule therapeutic candidate targeting the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In in vitro and in vivo models of TNBC, OXS-2175 demonstrated the ability to inhibit metastasis.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are inherently unreliable and actual results may differ materially. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the payment of dividends, marketing and distribution plans, development activities and anticipated operating results. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include such factors as the Company's ability to accomplish its business initiatives, significant fluctuations in marketing expenses and ability to achieve and expand significant levels of revenues, or recognize net income, from the sale of its products and services, as well as the introduction of competing products, or management's ability to attract and maintain qualified personnel necessary for the development and commercialization of its planned products, and other information that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Company website: www.oxis.com

SOURCE: Oxis International Inc.