Matinas BioPharma Appoints Harold E. Bays, M.D. to its Cardiovascular Health Scientific Advisory Board

Well known and highly regarded clinical leader having served as an Investigator for over 500 Phase 1 - 4 clinical trials evaluating treatments for dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and other metabolic and hormonal disorders

BEDMINSTER, N.J., Dec. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (NYSE AMER: MTNB), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of Harold E. Bays, M.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Bays is Board Certified in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology, and Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Bays joins the Company’s recently appointed SAB members, Christie M. Ballantyne, M.D., John J.P. Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D., FESC, and Kevin C. Maki, Ph.D., now representing four of the world’s leading lipid specialists and cardiovascular health experts.

“We remain focused on advancing MAT9001 and strongly believe that working closely with some of the world’s leading cardiovascular experts is critical as we identify the optimal clinical development pathway forward for this very promising program. With that in mind, we are pleased to add Dr. Bays to our Scientific Advisory Board, as someone who has established a strong foundation of understanding and experience in the cardiovascular space, in particular with omega-3 prescription products,” commented Jerome D. Jabbour, President and Chief Executive Officer of Matinas. “We look forward to leveraging the wealth of knowledge and insight Dr. Bays has obtained over the course of his distinguished career and believe that he will be an integral advisor as we work to advance the clinical development of MAT9001.”

Dr. Bays is the Founder of Your Body Goal, where he oversees a state-of-the art weight management program and also serves as Medical Director and President of Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center. He has written or served as a contributing author to over 200 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and book chapters, well as presented over 100 scientific abstracts at major scientific meetings and is frequently invited as a national and international speaker. He has served as first author for a number of scientific consensus statements in Lipidology and Obesity Medicine and was lead author of the National Lipid Association Annual Summary of Clinical Lipidology 2015 & 2016, co-author of the National Lipid Association Recommendations for Patient-Centered Treatment of Dyslipidemia, and Chairman of the Obesity Medicine Association Obesity Algorithm.

Dr. Bays stated, “The role of omega-3 fatty acids within the cardiovascular space has gained some exciting momentum over the past year. Given the encouraging data to date, MAT9001 appears to be well positioned to capitalize on key advancements and data generated with omega-3 prescription drugs. I am excited to be joining Matinas’ Scientific Advisory Board at this critical time. I look forward to my role in further exploring how MAT9001 may have an advantageous differentiating product profile, relative to currently approved and available prescription omega-3 fatty acids.”

Over the course of his career, Dr. Bays has served as an Investigator for over 500 early to late-stage clinical trials evaluating treatments for dyslipidemias, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and other metabolic and hormonal disorders. He served as Chairman of the National Lipid Association 2012 Adiposity and Dyslipidemia Consensus Conference and Chairman of the 2010 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist Adipose Tissue Pathophysiology State of the Science Conference. He has served as Chairman and task force member for a number of other medical initiatives regarding lipids and obesity and has received several scientific awards in such as the 2016 Obesity Medicine Association “Obesity Medicine Clinician of the Year,” 2015 National Lipid Association “President’s Service Award,” and 2014 American Society of Bariatric Physicians “Task Force Award.”

Dr. Bays is a Fellow of the National Lipid Association (FNLA), Fellow of The Obesity Society (FTOS), Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (FACE).

About Matinas BioPharma

Matinas BioPharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on (i) the development of MAT9001 for abnormalities in blood lipids, referred to as dyslipidemia, and the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and (ii) enabling the delivery of life-changing medicines using our unique and proprietary, lipid nano-crystal (“LNC”) platform technology, including development of MAT2203, our lead antifungal platform drug candidate.

The Company is actively pursuing the development of MAT9001 with the support of a world-class team of clinical key opinion leaders and regulatory consultants.  MAT9001 is a prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid-based composition, comprised primarily of EPA and DPA, under development for hypertriglyceridemia, which has shown superiority versus Vascepa^® (icosapent ethyl) in reducing serum triglycerides, Total- and Non-HDL-Cholesterol, apolipoprotein CIII and PCSK9 levels.

In addition, the Company's proprietary, disruptive technology utilizes lipid-crystal nano-particle cochleates to nano-encapsulate small molecules, nucleic acid polymers, vaccines and other medicines potentially making them safer, more tolerable, less toxic and orally bioavailable. 

For more information, please visit www.matinasbiopharma.com and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Matinas 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, the anticipated timing of regulatory submissions, the anticipated timing of clinical studies, the anticipated timing of regulatory interactions, the Company’s ability to identify and pursue development and partnership opportunities for its products or platform delivery technology on favorable terms, if at all, and the ability to obtain required regulatory approval 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, including MAT2203 and MAT9001; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; our ability to maintain and derive benefit from the Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP), Orphan and/or Fast Track designations for MAT2203, which does not change the standards for regulatory approval or guarantee regulatory approval on an expedited basis, or at all; 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.

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Released December 19, 2018