Capricor Therapeutics to Present at 2018 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa

Company will Provide Presentation on Cell and Exosome Therapies and Poster on New Research

LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAPR) will provide a presentation at the 2018 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa today on its cell therapy, CAP-1002, which is currently in clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It will also discuss its exosome-based therapy, CAP-2003, and the potential for using exosomes, which many consider to be the next generation platform in regenerative medicine, as a therapeutic and as a potential vehicle for delivering therapies to cells in the human body.

In addition, during the three-day conference in La Jolla, CA, Capricor will provide a poster presentation on a pre-clinical study which found that extracellular vesicles, or exosomes, were the active component of CAP-1002. Exosomes are nano-sized, membrane-enclosed vesicles, or bubbles, that are secreted by cells and contain bioactive molecules, including proteins, RNAs and microRNAs. They serve as messengers to regulate the functions of neighboring cells.

The details of the presentations are:

A live video webcast of the presentation will be available at http://www.meetingonthemesa.com/webcast and will also be published on the conference website shortly after the event.

The poster will be available at the Events & Presentations section of Capricor’s website on Friday, Oct. 5.

The poster will report on a pre-clinical study that assessed the biological mechanisms of action of paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles, also known as exosomes, secreted by cardiosphere derived cells (CDCs), the active component of Capricor’s novel cell therapy, CAP-1002. The poster showed that growth factors released by CDCs are able to activate survival signals in treated cells. However, Capricor also reported that the exosomes were responsible for CAP-1002’s immunomodulatory effects.

About Capricor Therapeutics

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAPR) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing biological therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and other rare diseases. Capricor's lead candidate, CAP-1002, is a cell-based candidate currently in clinical development for the treatment of DMD. Capricor is also exploring the potential of CAP-2003, a cell-free, extracellular vesicle-based candidate, to treat a variety of disorders. For more information, visit www.capricor.com.

About CAP-1002

CAP-1002 consists of allogeneic cardiosphere-derived cells, or CDCs, a unique population of cells that contains cardiac progenitor cells. CAP-1002 has been shown to exert potent immunomodulatory activity and alters the immune system's activity to encourage cellular regeneration. CDCs have been the subject of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and have been administered to approximately 140 human subjects across several clinical trials.

About CAP-2003

CAP-2003 is being developed as a next-generation therapeutic platform in regenerative medicine. CAP-2003 is comprised of nano-sized extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles, derived from human CDCs, which exert anti-inflammatory, pro-angiogenic, anti-apoptotic, and anti-fibrotic effects. CAP-2003 contains several characteristic lipids, proteins, and RNA molecules (e.g., microRNAs). They act as messengers to regulate the functions of neighboring cells. Pre-clinical research has shown that exogenously-administered extracellular vesicles can direct or, in some cases, re-direct cellular activity, supporting their therapeutic potential. Their size, ease of crossing cell membranes and ability to communicate in native cellular language make them an exciting class of potential therapeutic agents.

About the 2018 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa

The Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa is a three-day conference combining discussions between key opinion leaders, senior executives and top academic researchers. The program also includes 65+ presentations by the field’s most promising companies and 35 poster abstracts by leading scientists from around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.meetingonthemesa.com/

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; 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, 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, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 22, 2018, in its Registration Statement on Form S-3, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 28, 2015, together with the prospectus included therein and prospectus supplements thereto and in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2018. 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. CAP-2003 has not yet been approved for clinical investigation.

For more information, please contact:

AJ Bergmann, Chief Financial Officer
+1-310-358-3200
abergmann@capricor.com

Released October 3, 2018