GAINESVILLE, Fla., and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:AGTC), a biotechnology company conducting human clinical trials of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies for the treatment of rare diseases, today announced the company and its collaborators will participate in in the following upcoming conferences.

• Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) – Seattle, Wash. (May 1-5)
  William A. Beltran, DVM, PhD., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, will present new preclinical data evaluating the efficacy of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector gene therapy treatment for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), a rare inherited retinal disease that causes progressive vision loss in boys and young men. The abstract (# 785-C0074), titled “Two AAV2/5-mediated RPGR gene augmentation constructs driven by the GRK1 promoter rescue photoreceptor structure and function in a canine model of RPGR X-linked retinitis pigmentosa,” will be presented in a poster session from 1:30 - 3:15 p.m. PDT on May 3^rd. 

• American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 19^th Annual Meeting – Washington, D.C. (May 4-7)
  Terence R. Flotte, M.D., Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor in Medical Education and dean of the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, will present new clinical data evaluating the use of recombinant AAV-AAT vector gene delivery to muscle in patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, an inherited genetic disorder that results in severe loss of lung function caused by complete or partial deficiency of the alpha-1 antitrypsin protein. The abstract (#24), titled “Sustained Expression with Partial Correction of Neutrophil Defects 5 Years after Intramuscular rAAV1 Gene Therapy for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency,” will be presented in an oral session from 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT on May 4^th.
  
  AGTC President & CEO Sue Washer will be co-chairing the ASGCT Commercialization Workshop, taking place from 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. on May 3^rd. Ms. Washer will deliver welcoming remarks at 9:00 a.m. alongside co-chair Douglas J. Jolly, Ph.D., and will be moderating two panel discussions; the C-Suite Executive Panel from 9:35 - 10:45 a.m., and the Patient Advocacy Panel from 2:55 - 3:35 p.m.  

• Piper Jaffray GenomeRx Symposium – New York, N.Y. (May 17-18)
  AGTC President & CEO Sue Washer will be participating in a panel discussion entitled “Eyes on Gene Therapy For Ophthalmology” from 3:50 – 4:25 p.m. EDT on May 17^th. 

• Boston CEO Conference – Boston, Mass. (May 31 – June 1)
  AGTC President & CEO Sue Washer will be participating in a panel discussion entitled “Genetic Therapies: The promise and the challenge” from 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. EDT on June 1^st.

About AGTC

AGTC is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses its proprietary gene therapy platform to develop products designed to transform the lives of patients with severe diseases, with an initial focus in ophthalmology. AGTC's lead product candidates are designed to treat inherited orphan diseases of the eye, caused by mutations in single genes that significantly affect visual function and currently lack effective medical treatments.

AGTC's product pipeline includes six named ophthalmology development programs across five targets (X-linked retinoschisis, X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, achromatopsia, wet age-related macular degeneration and blue cone monochromacy), non-ophthalmology programs in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and adrenoleukodystrophy and early research studies in additional indications. AGTC employs a highly targeted approach to selecting and designing its product candidates, choosing to develop therapies for indications having high unmet medical need, clinical feasibility and commercial potential. AGTC has a significant intellectual property portfolio and expertise in the design of gene therapy products including capsids, promoters and expression cassettes, as well as expertise in the formulation, manufacture and physical delivery of gene therapy products.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect AGTC's plans, estimates, assumptions and beliefs. These statements relate to a variety of matters, including but not limited to, the anticipated utility of AAV vectors made using AGTC's proprietary manufacturing method in the treatment of various therapeutic indications. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "seeks," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, due to a number of important factors, which include, but are not limited to, the following: no gene therapy products have been approved in the United States and AGTC cannot predict when or if it will obtain regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate; AGTC relies on third parties to conduct research, conduct, supervise and monitor its clinical trials and to conduct certain aspects of its product manufacturing and protocol development; and increased regulatory scrutiny of gene therapy and genetic research could damage public perception of AGTC's product candidates or adversely affect AGTC's ability to conduct its business. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth under the heading "Item 1A—Risk Factors" in AGTC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, as filed with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent management's plans, estimates, assumptions and beliefs only as of the date of this release. Except as required by law, AGTC assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

IR/PR CONTACTS: 

David Carey (IR) or Danielle Lewis (PR)
Lazar Partners Ltd.
T: (212) 867-1768 or (212) 843-0211
dcarey@lazarpartners.com or dlewis@lazarpartners.com

CORPORATE CONTACTS:
		
Larry Bullock
Chief Financial Officer
Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation
T: (386) 462-2204      
lbullock@agtc.com

Stephen Potter
Chief Business Officer
Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation
T: (617) 413-2754
spotter@agtc.com