ContraFect Announces Expanded Research Collaboration with The Rockefeller University to Identify Lysin Therapeutics Targeting Gram-negative Bacteria

YONKERS, NY--(Marketwired - November 14, 2016) - ContraFect Corporation (NASDAQ: CFRX) (NASDAQ: CFRXW), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of protein and antibody therapeutics for life-threatening, drug-resistant infectious diseases, today announces that it has entered into a three year collaborative research agreement with The Rockefeller University (Rockefeller) to identify new lysin therapeutic candidates targeting Gram-negative bacteria. This agreement renews and expands the existing collaboration between ContraFect and Rockefeller.

Under the terms of the agreement, Professor Vincent A. Fischetti, Ph.D., Head of the Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology at Rockefeller and a leading researcher studying the bactericidal activity of lysins, will collaborate with ContraFect scientists to identify novel lysin therapeutic candidates which target Gram-negative pathogens. The research collaboration will focus on Gram-negative pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella, including antibiotic-resistant strains, which represent a significant global health threat.

"We are pleased to continue our relationship with Rockefeller and Professor Fischetti, who has been a longstanding collaborator with ContraFect and a pioneer in discovering lysins as potential anti-bacterial agents," said Steven C. Gilman, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of ContraFect. "Multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria represent some of the most life threatening and difficult to treat infections and we believe that lysin technology may ultimately provide new therapeutics for patients infected with drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens."

"We look forward to continuing our relationship with ContraFect, which to date has been highly productive in bringing the first lysin drug candidate into clinical trials in the United States," said Professor Fischetti. "We are excited with the opportunity to expand the collaboration to discover lysins active against drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens for which current therapies are not adequate."

About Gram-negative Infections

The 2013 CDC report on Antibiotic Resistance Threats identifies several Gram-negative pathogens including Enterobacteriaceae (a family that includes Escherichia coli and Klebsiella), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter as among the most worrisome because of strains that are resistant to all or nearly all available antibiotics. In particular, the CDC classifies Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) as an "Urgent" threat and multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter as "Serious" threats. Bacteria are generally classified as either Gram-positive or Gram-negative based on their staining on the "Gram" test.

About ContraFect:

ContraFect is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing therapeutic protein and antibody products for life-threatening, drug-resistant infectious diseases, particularly those treated in hospital settings. 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 lysin and monoclonal antibody platforms to target conserved regions of either bacteria or viruses (regions that are not prone to mutation). ContraFect's initial product candidates include new agents to treat antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and influenza. ContraFect is the first company to advance a lysin drug candidate (CF-301) into clinical trials in the United States, and the company is planning on initiating a Phase 2 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CF-301 in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and endocarditis.

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 our ability to discover and develop protein and antibody therapeutics for life-threatening, drug-resistant infectious diseases, Rockefeller's and ContraFect's ability to identify novel lysin therapeutic candidates which target Gram-negative pathogens, the continued relationship between Rockefeller, Dr. Fischetti and ContraFect, whether lysin technology will provide new therapeutics for patients infected with drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, our ability to address life-threatening infections using our therapeutic product candidates from our lysin and monoclonal antibody platforms to target conserved regions of either bacteria or viruses, whether ContraFect's initial product candidates will treat antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and influenza and ContraFect's ability to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its lead lysin candidate, CF-301, in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and endocarditis. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on ContraFect's 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 ContraFect's control, including those detailed 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.