OCALA, Fla., Dec. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE American:HEB) continues to work with Apple and other affected parties for a solution to correct Apple iOS12 Stocks Application misinformation and enable investors using the Apple device for their market information to find current and accurate HEB recent stories and news.
Hemispherx announced on December 12, 2018, that it had learned that the Apple iOS12 Stocks Application (“App”), as a result of a recent update, has a “glitch” affecting a large number of public companies, including Hemispherx. The defect results in an erroneous news message which inaccurately informs certain iPhone and Apple portable device users that there are “No Recent Stories” related to Hemispherx. As to Hemispherx, that is totally false since over the past six months the company has made great strides forward in accomplishing its milestones, and news stories regarding Hemispherx’ timely filings and major material accomplishments abound. The Apple defect also resulted in news previously published and available on the Apple iOS12 Stocks App being deleted from the App.
The defect appears to have started in September of this year when Apple updated its operating system, including its Stocks App. Prior to the update, business stories for the company ticker “HEB” were published in due course. A history of these news stories was also immediately available on the App. With the update, the prior news history was deleted and dissemination of the false statement that there were “No Recent Stories” regarding Hemispherx was published. Despite numerous formal demands, Apple thus far has been unable to fix this issue. Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to alert our investors and those interested in Hemispherx to redirect their search for news on the company to other news outlets, such as Google Finance, Yahoo Finance and our website at www.hemispherx.net. We have found that more than 60 publicly traded companies are being affected by this malfunction within Apple’s Stocks App. While we continue to strive to work with Apple to remedy this issue, and we believe Apple will in good faith work to resolve it, we cannot allow the matter to stand uncorrected. We believe it is our duty to inform you of our corporate progress to date and make every effort to correct the “No Recent Stories” misstatement pending Apple’s successful correction of the problem.
Over the past two weeks we have made significant strides in our ME/CFS program which were publicly announced in a timely fashion:
- Hemispherx announced its site visit and expansion of its ME/CFS EAP in the U.S. (http://ir.hemispherx.net/profiles/investor/ResLibraryView.asp?ResLibraryID=89399&BzID=2265&g=980&Nav=0&LangID=1&s=0).
- Hemispherx announced the first large Ampligen shipment to a clinical site for use in the U.S. EAP (http://ir.hemispherx.net/profiles/investor/ResLibraryView.asp?ResLibraryID=89410&BzID=2265&g=980&Nav=0&LangID=1&s=0).
Prior to the most recent news cited above, earlier this year we made great strides in advancing our important goals in manufacturing, ME/CFS and oncology, such as:
- Successful immuno-oncology animal studies of Ampligen in combination with checkpoint blockade therapies.
- Two cancer clinical trials underway, a Phase 1/2 with subjects being treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Ovarian Cancer (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02432378) and a Phase 2a at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Colorectal Cancer (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03403634).
- A third study in collaboration with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Merck is a Phase 2 on advanced ovarian carcinoma using cisplatin, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as an anti-PD-1 therapy plus Ampligen, and is expected to commence in January 2019 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03734692).
- Signed clinical trial agreement with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to commence new clinical studies with Ampligen plus checkpoint inhibitors in bladder cancer, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma. This new agreement expands existing pre-clinical collaborations.
- Progress at the Buffett Cancer Center toward potential 2019 clinical trials with Ampligen and checkpoint blockade therapy in non-small cell lung and pancreatic cancers.
- The successful production of two commercial-sized lots of Ampligen, totaling ~16,000 vials.
- Continuation of the Ampligen EAP as a stand-alone therapy in pancreatic cancer at Erasmus, M.C., Netherlands.
- Completed bridge financing of $3 million under terms favorable to the Company.
Thomas Equels, Hemispherx CEO, stated: “We will continue to keep you apprised of our progress in these efforts as we move forward inaccomplishing our milestones. We will also work diligently to encourage Apple to fix this defect. Until it has done so, we will take such extra steps as we deem reasonable to deflect Apple’s erroneous position that there are “No Recent Stories” and, by implication, that there has been no news. Until Apple repairs the glitch we will address the problem with the only meaningful mechanism at the company’s disposal, periodically updating investors with a comprehensive document which reiterates the recent news and news history.”
Cautionary Statement
Some of the statements included in this press release may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among other things, for those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at www.hemispherx.net. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only.
Contacts:
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc.
Phone: 800-778-4042
Email: IR@hemispherx.net
Or
LHA Investor Relations
Miriam Weber Miller
Senior Vice President
Phone: +1-212-838-3777
Email: mmiller@lhai.com