Matinas BioPharma Announces Acceptance of Late-Breaking Abstract on MAT9001 Comparative Study Results Versus Vascepa(R) for Poster Presentation at the National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions

- NLA meeting being held June 11-14, 2015 -

BEDMINSTER, N.J., June 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. ("Matinas BioPharma" or the "Company") (OTCQB:MTNB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it will be presenting additional data from the MAT9001 head-to-head comparative pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) study versus Vascepa^® (icosapent ethyl) at the National Lipid Association (NLA) Scientific Sessions being held June 11-14, 2015, in Chicago, IL.

Kevin C. Maki, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Midwest Center for Metabolic & Cardiovascular Research, a certified Clinical Lipid Specialist, Fellow of the National Lipid Association and a member of the Matinas BioPharma Scientific Advisory Board, will present late breaking abstract number 192 entitled, "Effects of MAT9001, an Omega-3 Fatty Acid Drug, Compared with Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ethyl Esters, on Triglycerides, Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Related Variables in Hypertriglyceridemic Subjects," during an NLA poster Q&A session scheduled for June 13, 2015 from 11:20 a.m. 12:20 p.m. CDT.

MAT9001 is Matinas BioPharma's lead cardiovascular/metabolic disease drug candidate, a purposefully designed omega-3 fatty acid composition and delivery system that has the potential to be a best-in-class product for the treatment of dyslipidemia. The Company previously reported top-line data from its first clinical study of MAT9001 demonstrating superiority versus Vascepa^® on primary and secondary bioavailability, triglyceride reduction and other lipid endpoints in a head-to-head comparative PK/PD study. The study also demonstrated that MAT9001 is the first orally-administered dyslipidemia product reported to significantly reduce PCSK9 in patients.

Vascepa is indicated for use with a lipid-lowering diet to reduce very high triglycerides in adult patients and is a trademark of Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd.

About the National Lipid Association

The National Lipid Association (NLA) is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary medical society focused on enhancing the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine. The NLA represents more than 3,500 members in the United States and provides continuing medical education for physicians and other healthcare professionals to advance professional development and attain certification in clinical lipidology.

About MAT9001

MAT9001 is a proprietary prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid-based composition, comprising docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and other omega-3 fatty acids, which is under development for therapeutic applications with severe hypertriglyceridemia (TG>500 mg/dL) as the lead indication. Promising pre-clinical studies with DPA and MAT9001 indicate distinctive therapeutic response properties. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Matinas BioPharma filed an IND for MAT9001 with FDA. The Company believes that its development program and related clinical investigations may yield an improved therapeutic profile compared to existing therapies, based on MAT9001's differentiating mechanistic features associated with its unique composition.

About Matinas BioPharma

Matinas BioPharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a principal focus on identifying and developing novel and targeted pharmaceutical products for the treatment of various infectious diseases, with additional programs developing therapies to treat cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. Led by an experienced management team and a board of directors with a history of building pharmaceutical companies, Matinas BioPharma is focused on creating highly differentiated, safe and efficacious therapies utilizing its expertise in drug formulation and development in order to address significant unmet medical needs. The Company's lead anti-infective product candidates, MAT2203 and MAT2501, position Matinas BioPharma to become a leader in the safe and effective delivery of anti-infective therapies utilizing its proprietary lipid-crystal nano-particle cochleate formulations. For more information, please visit www.matinasbiopharma.com and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.

Forward Looking Statements: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the Company's strategic focus and the future development of its product candidates and other statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "could," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional capital to meet our liquidity needs on acceptable terms, or at all, including the additional capital which will be necessary to complete the clinical trials of our product candidates; our ability to successfully complete research and further development and commercialization of our product candidates; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; our ability to protect the Company's intellectual property; the loss of any executive officers or key personnel or consultants; competition; changes in the regulatory landscape or the imposition of regulations that affect the Company's products; and the other factors listed under "Risk Factors" in our filings with the SEC, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Matinas BioPharma's product candidates are all in a development stage and are not available for sale or use.

CONTACT: Investor Contact:
         Jenene Thomas
         Jenene Thomas Communications, LLC
         Phone: +1 (908) 938-1475
         Email: jthomas@matinasbiopharma.com

         Media Contact:
         David Connolly or Silvana Guercilena
         LaVoieHealthScience
         Phone: +1 (617) 374-8800
         Email: dconnolly@lavoiehealthscience.com /
         sguercilena@lavoiehealthscience.com

Released June 4, 2015