/EINPresswire.com/ -- BEVERLY, MA--(Marketwired - January 21, 2016) - Cellceutix Corporation (OTC: CTIX) (the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies with oncology, dermatology, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic applications, is pleased to announce that today we received the letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting Orphan Drug Designation to Kevetrin for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The work underscoring the new designation was conducted by Cellceutix scientists in collaboration with pancreatic cancer specialists at a world renowned clinic headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, in preparation for a recently filed grant application.

"Receiving another Orphan Drug designation for Kevetrin, along with the previously announced designation for ovarian cancer, is an important milestone in our strategies for Kevetrin and emphasizes the possibilities of a unique drug like Kevetrin's use in hard-to-treat diseases," commented Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Cellceutix.

Last year, an estimated 48,960 adults (24,840 men and 24,120 women) in the United States were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It is estimated that 40,560 deaths (20,710 men and 19,850 women) from this disease occurred. Pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women. A notoriously difficult disease to treat, pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of only 7.2 percent.

The FDA's Orphan Drug Designation program allows special incentives for sponsors planning to test a product for use in a rare disease or condition, defined as affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. These incentives include federal grants, tax credits, and reduced filing fees during development or at the time of application for marketing approval. If approved for commercialization by the FDA, the product may qualify for seven years of marketing exclusivity in the United States.

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About Cellceutix:

Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Cellceutix is a publicly traded company under the symbol "CTIX". Cellceutix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. Cellceutix believes it has a world-class portfolio of compounds and is now engaged in advancing its compounds and seeking strategic partnerships. Cellceutix's anti-cancer drug Kevetrin is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers' Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In the laboratory Kevetrin has shown to induce activation of p53, often referred to as the "Guardian Angel Gene" due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Cellceutix is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of Oral Mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Brilacidin-OM, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative oral mucositis by more than 94% compared to placebo. Cellceutix's anti-psoriasis drug Prurisol is in a Phase 2 trial. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. Cellceutix's lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (Superbugs). Cellceutix has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause Cellceutix's actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward looking statements. Cellceutix has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes," "hopes," "estimates," "looks," "expects," "plans," "intends," "goal," "potential," "may," "suggest," and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are Cellceutix's need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that Cellceutix's compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in Cellceutix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Cellceutix undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT:
Cellceutix Corporation
Leo Ehrlich
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