NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avenue Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATXI) (“Avenue”), a Fortress Biotech (NASDAQ: FBIO) company, today announced the completion of the first stage closing of the Acquisition Agreement previously announced on November 13, 2018 with InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“InvaGen”), a subsidiary of the leading global pharmaceutical company Cipla Limited.  The Acquisition Agreement has been approved by a majority of Avenue’s stockholders, including a majority of its non-affiliated stockholders, at its shareholder meeting on February 6, 2019. InvaGen has acquired 5,833,333 shares of Avenue’s common stock at $6.00 per share for total consideration of $35 million, representing a 33.3% stake in Avenue’s capital stock on a fully diluted basis. 

About Avenue Therapeutics:
Avenue, a Fortress Biotech company, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of intravenous (IV) Tramadol for the management of moderate to moderately severe post-operative pain. IV Tramadol may fill a gap in the acute pain market between IV acetaminophen/NSAIDs and IV conventional narcotics. Avenue is currently evaluating IV Tramadol in a pivotal Phase 3 program for the management of post-operative pain. Avenue is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.avenuetx.com.  

Avenue Contact:
Jaclyn Jaffe
Avenue Therapeutics, Inc. 
(781) 652-4500
[email protected]

About Fortress Biotech:
Fortress Biotech is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, in-licensing and developing high-potential clinical-stage assets. The company has over 25 programs in clinical development at Fortress, at its majority-owned and majority-controlled subsidiaries and at entities it founded and in which it holds significant minority ownership positions.  Such product candidates span six large-market therapeutic areas, including oncology, rare diseases and gene therapy, which allow it to create value while mitigating risk for shareholders. Fortress advances its diversified pipeline through a streamlined operating structure that fosters efficient drug development. The Fortress model is driven by a world-class business development team that is focused on leveraging its significant biopharmaceutical industry expertise to further expand the company’s portfolio of product opportunities. Fortress has established partnerships with some of the world’s leading academic research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies to maximize each opportunity to its full potential, including Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., City of Hope, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a subsidiary of Cipla Limited), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and UCL Business PLC. For more information, visit www.fortressbiotech.com.

About Cipla Limited:
Established in 1935, Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company focused on agile and sustainable growth, complex generics, and deepening portfolio in our home markets of India, South Africa, North America, and key regulated and emerging markets. Our strengths in the respiratory, anti-retroviral, urology, cardiology and CNS segments are well-known. Our 44 manufacturing sites around the world produce 50+ dosage forms and 1,500+ products using cutting-edge technology platforms to cater to our 80+ markets. Cipla is ranked 3rd largest in pharma in India (IQVIA MAT Dec’18), 3rd largest in the pharma private market in South Africa (IQVIA YTD Dec’18), and is among the most dispensed generic players in the US. For over eight decades, making a difference to patients has inspired every aspect of Cipla’s work. Our paradigm-changing offer of a triple anti-retroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS at less than a dollar a day in Africa in 2001 is widely acknowledged as having contributed to bringing inclusiveness, accessibility and affordability to the centre of the movement. A responsible corporate citizen, Cipla’s humanitarian approach to healthcare in pursuit of its purpose of ‘Caring for Life’ and deep-rooted community links wherever it is present make it a partner of choice to global health bodies, peers and all stakeholders. For more, please visit www.cipla.com, or click on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock value. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include: risks relating to our growth strategy; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; risks relating to the timing of starting and completing clinical trials; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.