Cellceutix Corporation Announces Industry Veteran Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA Joins Company as President and Chief Medical Officer

BEVERLY, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/30/16 -- Cellceutix Corporation, (OTC: CTIX) ("the Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies with oncology, dermatology, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory applications, today announces the appointment of Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, as President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Krishna Menon will continue to serve as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Research at Cellceutix. Dr. Bertolino is a leading pharmaceutical executive with over fifteen years of domestic and international drug development and management experience. Dr. Bertolino's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, day-to-day operations for all aspects of the Company, including pipeline development, cohesion of clinical and business strategies, team building and exploration of partnering opportunities.

In his career, Dr. Bertolino held several key positions at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), including Vice President of Dermatology and Vice President & Global Head of Translational Medicine for Dermatology. During his time at NIBR, Dr. Bertolino was integral to the marketing approval of Ilaris® (canakinumab) in the United States, European Union and Switzerland. He also led the early clinical program of Cosentyx™ (secukinumab) and late stage supportive submission studies. Further, he successfully recruited an additional six physicians to the Novartis team and contributed to other hires in NIBR.

Dr. Bertolino held positions as Senior Medical Director and Senior Director of Dermatology at Pfizer, Inc. Among other accomplishments at Pfizer, he led clinical programs for over a half-dozen new chemical entities involving Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies and contributed to planning for Phase 3 studies. Dr. Bertolino led FDA clinical interactions at entitlement meetings for Pfizer's dermatology products and served as Pfizer's dermatology spokesperson.

Dr. Bertolino served as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Peplin, Inc., where he led Phase 2 programs and designed and drove initial Phase 3 programs that contributed to FDA approval of Picato® (ingenol mebutate). Dr. Bertolino also held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Revance Therapeutics, where he, among other responsibilities, supervised all aspects of clinical staff and programs and regulatory affairs.

Dr. Bertolino earned a BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry from SUNY Stony Brook, an MD and PhD in Pharmacology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an MBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He has authored over 50 abstracts, papers, and book chapters, and also has been a contributor to major media broadcasts and print media, such as Nightline, Nova, CBS This Morning, Men's Health, GQ, Discover and more.

"With several of our compounds in or approaching mid- and late-stage development, we are assembling a team of industry veterans with a track record of bringing drugs to market. Art is an important first addition in these efforts as we recruit and negotiate with other industry leaders to advance our novel therapies for patients in need around the world. He brings exceptional clinical and corporate leadership and regulatory expertise, having spearheaded multiple development programs for drugs forecasted to be blockbusters for some of the world's most recognized pharmaceutical companies," commented Chief Executive Officer Leo Ehrlich. "Art will play a pivotal role as we seek to realize the global potential of the entire Cellceutix pipeline."

Dr. Bertolino commented, "I am excited to join Cellceutix. While many professional opportunities were presented to me, I saw Cellceutix as the best fit and an exciting opportunity to lead the advancement of what I believe are some very promising drug candidates. The Company's pipeline is world-class, with compounds that can transform lives. I look forward to helping Cellceutix deliver on its vast potential."

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About Cellceutix: Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Cellceutix is a publicly traded company under the symbol "CTIX". Cellceutix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. Cellceutix believes it has a world-class portfolio of compounds and is now engaged in advancing its compounds and seeking strategic partnerships. Cellceutix's anti-cancer drug Kevetrin concluded a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers' Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Cellceutix is now preparing its application for a Phase 2 study. In the laboratory Kevetrin has shown to induce activation of p53, often referred to as the "Guardian Angel Gene" due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Cellceutix is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of Oral Mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Brilacidin-OM, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative oral mucositis by more than 94% compared to placebo. Cellceutix's anti-psoriasis drug Prurisol is in a Phase 2 trial. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. Cellceutix's lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (Superbugs). Cellceutix has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause Cellceutix's actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward looking statements. Cellceutix has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "hopes," "estimates," "looks," "expects," "plans," "intends," "goal," "potential," "may," "suggest," and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are Cellceutix's need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that Cellceutix's compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in Cellceutix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Cellceutix undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

   INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT: Cellceutix Corporation Leo EhrlichEmail contact

Source: Cellceutix

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