GlobeNewswire Inc | Nov 9, 2021 07:30AM EST

November 09, 2021

YONKERS, N.Y., Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ContraFect Corporation (Nasdaq: CFRX), a late clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of direct lytic agents (DLAs), including lysins and amurin peptides, as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections, announces today that data from the Companys DLA programs, including lysin CF-370 and amurin peptide AM1, demonstrate the potential for their development as treatments for pulmonary infections associated with cystic fibrosis. These data were recently presented at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC) which was held virtually from November 2-5, 2021.

These direct lytic agents show in vitro activity against the most prevalent Gram-negative pathogens, including multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains commonly associated with pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. Nine of these MDR strains were evaluated. Currently, few treatment options exist to address these infections, and persons with cystic fibrosis are even more vulnerable. The data further support the in vitro activity profile of CF-370 and AM1 against specific Gram-negative pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Achromobacter spp.

Raymond Schuch, Ph.D., Vice President, Research, ContraFect Corporation, delivered the poster presentation entitled Direct Lytic Agents (DLAs), a Novel Family of Antimicrobial Agents, Exert Potent in vitro Bactericidal Activity Against Gram-negative (GN) Pathogens Which Cause Pulmonary Infections in CF Patients, Including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. The presentation is available on the Companys website.

About Cystic Fibrosis

According to the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation, infections are a problem for people with cystic fibrosis because they can cause fever, difficulty breathing, coughing, and excessiveinflammation. A cycle of recurring infections and inflammation gradually destroys lung tissue. People with CF are susceptible to infections from bacteria, viruses, and fungi because abnormally thick, stickymucustraps these germs in the airways. They also are prone to infections because their mucus and airway liquid does not have the same infection-fighting properties as normal mucus. This abnormal mucus provides an ideal environment for bacteria to form protective layers -- known asbiofilms-- that make them more difficult to kill. For more information visit: https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/

About Exebacase (CF-301):

Exebacase is an anti-staphylococcal recombinantly-produced lysin (cell wall hydrolase enzyme) with potent bactericidal activity againstStaph aureus, a major cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs) also known as bacteremia. It is the first lysin to enter clinical studies in the U.S. and was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of MRSA bloodstream infections, including right-sided endocarditis, when used in addition to standard of care (SOC) anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.

Exebacase is currently being studied in the Phase 3 DISRUPT superiority design study of exebacase in patients withStaph aureusbacteremia, including right-sided endocarditis. In the Companys Phase 2 study of exebacase, a pre-specified analysis of MRSA-infected patients showed that the clinical responder rate at Day 14 in patients treated with exebacase was nearly 43-percentage points higher than in patients treated with SOC antibiotics alone (74.1% for patients treated with exebacase compared to 31.3% for patients treated with SOC antibiotics alone (p=0.010)). In addition to the higher rate of clinical response, MRSA-infected patients treated with exebacase showed a 21-percentage point reduction in 30-day all-cause mortality (p=0.056), a four-day lower median length of hospital stay and meaningful reductions in hospital readmission rates.

Exebacase has the potential to be a first-in-class treatment forStaph aureusbacteremia. The lysin was licensed from The Rockefeller University and is being developed at ContraFect.

About ContraFect

ContraFect is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of DLAs, including lysins and amurin peptides, as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections. An estimated 700,000 deaths worldwide each year are attributed to antimicrobial-resistant infections. We intend to address life threatening infections using our therapeutic product candidates from our platform of DLAs, which include lysins and amurin peptides. Lysins are a new class of DLAs which are recombinantly produced antimicrobial proteins with a novel mechanism of action associated with the rapid killing of target bacteria, eradication of biofilms and synergy with conventional antibiotics. Amurin peptides are a novel class of DLAs which exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, includingP. aeruginosa,Acinetobacter baumannii, andEnterobacterspecies. We believe that the properties of our lysins and amurin peptides will make them suitable for targeting antibiotic-resistant organisms, such as methicillin-resistant Staph aures (MRSA) andP. aeruginosa, which can cause serious infections such as bacteremia, pneumonia and osteomyelitis. We have completed a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment ofStaph aureusbacteremia, including endocarditis, with our lead lysin candidate, exebacase, which is the first lysin to enter clinical studies in the U.S. Exebacase, currently being studied in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study, was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of MRSA bloodstream infections, including right-sided endocarditis, when used in addition to SOC anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains, and our officers and representatives may make from time to time, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as projects, may, will, could, would, should, believes, expects, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans, potential, promise or similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, statements regarding: the in-vitro activity of DLAs and their potential to treat pulmonary infections associated with cystic fibrosis, ContraFects ability to discover and develop DLAs as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections, whether ContraFect will address life-threatening infections using its DLA platform, whether lysins are a new class of DLAs which are recombinantly produced, antimicrobial proteins with a novel mechanism of action associated with the rapid killing of target bacteria, eradication of biofilms and synergy with conventional antibiotics, whether amurins are a novel class of DLAs which exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, and whether the properties of ContraFects lysins and amurins will make them suitable for targeting antibiotic-resistant organisms, such as MRSA andP. aeruginosa. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on ContraFects current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of its business, future plans, strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond ContraFects control, including the occurrence of any adverse events related to the discovery, development and commercialization of ContraFects product candidates such as unfavorable clinical trial results, insufficient supplies of drug products, the lack of regulatory approval, or the unsuccessful attainment or maintenance of patent protection and other important risks detailed under the caption Risk Factors in ContraFect's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others, our ability to develop treatments for drug-resistant infectious diseases. Any forward-looking statement made by ContraFect in this press release is based only on information currently available and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable law, ContraFect expressly disclaims any obligations to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contacts:

Michael MessingerContraFect CorporationTel: 914-207-2300Email: mmessinger@contrafect.com

Jules AbrahamCORE IRTel: 917-885-7378Email: Julesa@coreir.com