Capricor Therapeutics Receives Clinical Research Forum’s 2023 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award

-HOPE-2 Trial Recognized as an Outstanding Accomplishment in Research Advancement-

SAN DIEGO, March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CAPR), a biotechnology company focused on the development of transformative cell and exosome-based therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of muscular and other select diseases, announced today that the Company’s HOPE-2 study with lead asset, CAP-1002, for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been named as a recipient of the Clinical Research Forum’s (CR Forum) 2023 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award. The study was published in The Lancet in March 2022.

The Clinical Research Forum’s Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Awards honor outstanding accomplishments that exemplify significant advancements and impactful work being conducted by investigators at nearly 60 research institutions and hospitals across the United States, as well as at partner institutions from around the world. All nominated studies were published in peer-reviewed journals in 2022.

“Our work with our lead asset CAP-1002 through our HOPE-2 study has shown significant promise for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” said Dr. Linda Marbán, CEO of Capricor. “Being named a finalist for this award amongst other impressive research achievements throughout the clinical research arena is a true testament to the hard work our team has put into bringing CAP-1002 closer to those patients in need. We look forward to further defining CAP-1002’s path toward commercialization as we continue the development of this novel therapy. We thank the patients, their families, caregivers, and the broader Duchenne community for working with us on this promising therapy.”

Dr. Craig McDonald was the national principal investigator for HOPE-2, UC Davis professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and lead author of the study. Winners will be recognized at the at the 2023 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Awards in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 2023.

About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating genetic disorder characterized by progressive weakness and chronic inflammation of the skeletal, heart and respiratory muscles. Patients suffering from DMD typically lose their ability to walk in their teenage years and generally die of cardiac or respiratory complications by age 30. It occurs in one in every 3,600 live male births across all races, cultures and countries. DMD afflicts approximately 200,000 boys and young men around the world. Treatment options are limited and there is no cure. 

About Capricor Therapeutics

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAPR) is a biotechnology company focused on the development of transformative cell and exosome-based therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of muscular and other select diseases. Capricor’s lead candidate, CAP-1002, is an allogeneic cardiac-derived cell therapy that is currently in late-stage clinical development for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Capricor is also developing its exosome technology as a next-generation therapeutic platform. Capricor’s focus is on developing exosomes capable of delivering nucleic acids, including mRNA, as well as proteins to treat or prevent a variety of diseases. For more information, visit capricor.com, and follow Capricor on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release regarding the efficacy, safety, and intended utilization of Capricor’s product candidates; the initiation, conduct, size, timing and results of discovery efforts and clinical trials; the pace of enrollment of clinical trials; plans regarding regulatory filings, future research and clinical trials; regulatory developments involving products, including the ability to obtain regulatory approvals or otherwise bring products to market; the ability to achieve product milestones and to receive milestone payments from commercial partners; plans regarding current and future collaborative activities and the ownership of commercial rights; scope, duration, validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights; future royalty streams and revenue projections; expectations with respect to the expected use of proceeds from the recently completed offerings and the anticipated effects of the offerings; and any other statements about Capricor’s management team’s future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “believes,” “plans,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. More information about these and other risks that may impact Capricor’s business is set forth in Capricor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2022 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 10, 2022. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Capricor as of the date hereof, and Capricor assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CAP-1002 is an Investigational New Drug and is not approved for any indications. None of Capricor’s exosome-based candidates have been approved for clinical investigation.

For more information, please contact:

Capricor Media Contact:
Raquel Cona
KCSA Strategic Communications
rcona@kcsa.com  
212.896.1204

Capricor Investor Contact:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com
617.435.6602

Capricor Company Contact:
AJ Bergmann, Chief Financial Officer
abergmann@capricor.com
310.358.3200

Released March 2, 2023