Message #49 From:
NewsBot Date: April 16, 2008 08:50:18 AM
Neoprobe Receives $3 Million in Clinical Funding
Second Funding Completed with Montaur
--Neoprobe Corporation (OTCBB: NEOP), a diversified developer of
innovative oncology and cardiovascular surgical and diagnostic products,
today announced that concurrent with the authorization by FDA to
commence patient enrollment in a Phase 3 multi-center clinical study of
Lymphoseek, the Company completed the second closing of $3 million in
financing committed to by Platinum-Montaur Life Sciences LLC (Montaur)
in December of last year. The closing with Montaur provides Neoprobe
with funding to commence its Phase 3 clinical studies of Lymphoseek in
patients with breast cancer or melanoma and head and neck squamous cell
carcinoma.
The funding is in the form of a secured note with is repayable in
December 2011 and is fully convertible into Neoprobe common shares at
$0.36 per share, which was the closing price of Neoprobe’s
common stock on April 10, 2008, when the investment was priced. In
addition, Neoprobe issued Montaur a warrant to purchase up to 8,333,333
shares of Neoprobe common stock at $0.46 per share. In connection with
amending the securities purchase agreement related to the second
closing, Montaur and Company also modified the prerequisite milestone
necessary to receive a final $3 million in funding from Montaur. The
milestone was modified to obtaining 135 positive lymph nodes in the
Phase 3 trial of patients with breast cancer or melanoma.
David Bupp, Neoprobe’s President, said, “The
completion of the Montaur financing provides Neoprobe with the financing
to initiate the Phase 3 clinical study of Lymphoseek in a timely manner.
We expect to begin patient enrollment in the Phase 3 clinical study in
patients with breast cancer or melanoma shortly after the FDA-cleared
clinical protocol and associated materials receive final clearance from
clinical review committees of the investigational sites. The first of
the Phase 3 sites have received institutional approvals and we are
preparing to commence patient enrollment.”
Michael Goldberg, M.D., Principal, Montaur Capital Partners, LLC and
Portfolio Manager of the Platinum Montaur Life Sciences Fund, said, “Neoprobe
continues to represent an excellent investment opportunity. We are
pleased with their progress since our initial investment and look
forward to the successful completion of their pivotal clinical trials.”
WBB Securities LLC served as the sole placement agent on the transaction
with Montaur.
Lymphoseek is a proprietary radioactive tracing agent being developed
for use in connection with gamma detection devices in a surgical
procedure known as Intraoperative Lymphatic Mapping.
About Neoprobe
Neoprobe is a biomedical company focused on enhancing patient care and
improving patient outcome by meeting the critical intraoperative
diagnostic information needs of physicians and therapeutic treatment
needs of patients. Neoprobe currently markets the neo2000®
line of gamma detection systems that are widely used by cancer surgeons
and is commercializing the Quantix®
line of blood flow measurement products developed by its subsidiary,
Cardiosonix Ltd. In addition, Neoprobe holds significant interests in
the development of related biomedical systems and radiopharmaceutical
agents including Lymphoseek®
and RIGScan® CR.
Neoprobe’s subsidiary, Cira Biosciences,
Inc., is also advancing a patient-specific cellular therapy technology
platform called ACT. Neoprobe’s strategy is
to deliver superior growth and shareholder return by maximizing its
strong position in gamma detection technologies and diversifying into
new, synergistic biomedical markets through continued investment and
selective acquisitions. www.neoprobe.com
Statements in this news release, which relate to other than strictly
historical facts, such as statements about the Company’s
plans and strategies, expectations for future financial performance, new
and existing products and technologies, anticipated clinical and
regulatory pathways, and markets for the Company’s
products are forward-looking statementsThe words “believe,”“expect,”“anticipate,”“estimate,”“project,”
and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements that speak
only as of the date hereof.Investors are cautioned that such
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from historical or anticipated results due
to many factors including, but not limited to, the Company’s
continuing operating losses, uncertainty of market acceptance of its
products, reliance on third party manufacturers, accumulated deficit,
future capital needs, uncertainty of capital funding, dependence on
limited product line and distribution channels, competition, limited
marketing and manufacturing experience, risks of development of new
products, regulatory risks and other risks detailed in the Company’s
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and other Securities and
Exchange Commission filings.The Company undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.