Data from pacritinib Phase 3 PERSIST-1 trial in patients with myelofibrosis to be highlighted at ASCO

CTI BioPharma Corp. (CTI BioPharma) (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) and Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today announced that data from the randomized Phase 3 PERSIST-1 trial evaluating the investigational agent pacritinib in patients with myelofibrosis will be highlighted in a late-breaking oral presentation at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2015 Meeting (May 29-June 2, 2015 in Chicago, Ill). These data have also been selected as part of this year's official ASCO press briefing – titled "Targeted Therapy" – to be held on Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. CT.

Myelofibrosis (a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm) is a rare, but serious and life-threatening chronic bone marrow disorder caused by the accumulation of malignant bone marrow cells that triggers an inflammatory response and scars the bone marrow. The replacement of bone marrow with scar tissue limits its ability to produce red blood cells, prompting the spleen and liver to take over this function. Pacritinib is a next generation JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis.

The details of the oral presentation are:

Title: Results of the PERSIST-1 phase III study of pacritinib (PAC) versus best available therapy (BAT) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) or post-essential thrombocythemia-myelofibrosis (PET-MF)
First Author: Ruben Mesa, M.D., Deputy Director, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Chair of the Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Scottsdale, AZ
Date/Time: Saturday, May 30 at 2:37 p.m. CT
Session: Leukemia, Myelodysplasia, and Transplantation
Abstract #: LBA7006

SOURCE CTI BioPharma Corp.