NORCROSS, Ga., July 9, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:GALT), the leading developer of therapeutics that target galectin proteins to treat fibrosis and cancer, announced that it has been added to the Russell 3000® Index and Russell 2000® Index when Russell Investments reconstituted its comprehensive set of U.S. and global equity indexes on June 27, 2014.
"We are pleased to be added to the Russell 2000, which reflects our continued positive momentum and efforts to increase shareholder value," said Dr. Peter G. Traber, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Medical Officer of Galectin Therapeutics Inc. "We expect our inclusion will continue to raise our profile and generate greater interest in our stock among institutional investors."
Galectin Therapeutics is currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and exploratory biomarkers for efficacy for single and multiple doses of GR-MD-02 over four weekly doses of GR-MD-02 treatment in patients with fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis.
Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for both index funds and as benchmarks for passive and active investment strategies. In the institutional marketplace, approximately 98 percent of the investable U.S. equity market is benchmarked by the Russell 3000, representing approximately $4 trillion in assets. Galectin Therapeutics expects to continue to be included at least until June 2015 when Russell next reconstitutes its indexes.
The annual reconstitution of the Russell 3000 captures the largest 3,000 U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization. The largest 1,000 companies in this ranking comprise the Russell 1000 and the next 2,000 companies become the Russell 2000. The Russell 3000 also serves as the U.S. component to the Russell Global Index, which Russell launched in 2007.
About Russell
Russell Investments is a global asset manager and one of only a few firms that offers actively managed, multi-asset portfolios and services that include advice, investments and implementation. Russell stands with institutional investors, financial advisors and individuals working with their advisors—using the firm's core capabilities that extend across capital markets insights, manager research, portfolio construction, portfolio implementation and indexes to help each achieve their desired investment outcomes.
About Galectin Therapeutics
Galectin Therapeutics (Nasdaq:GALT) is developing promising carbohydrate-based therapies for the treatment of fibrotic liver disease and cancer based on the Company's unique understanding of galectin proteins, key mediators of biologic function. We are leveraging extensive scientific and development expertise as well as established relationships with external sources to achieve cost effective and efficient development. We are pursuing a clear development pathway to clinical enhancement and commercialization for our lead compounds in liver fibrosis and cancer. Additional information is available at www.galectintherapeutics.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance, and use words such as "may," "estimate," "could," "expect" and others. They are based on our current expectations and are subject to factors and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These statements include those regarding expectations regarding our stock and interest by institutional and other investors. Factors that could cause our actual performance to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, among others, that our stock price and interest from investors are impacted by various factors beyond our control, and inclusion in the Russell indexes will not necessarily lead to higher stock prices or more interest from investors. Among other factors, our stock price and investor interest in our company will be impacted by the success of our drug development program, and plans, expectations and goals regarding any preclinical or clinical data and potential therapeutic uses and benefits of our drugs and any future pre-clinical or clinical studies are subject to factors beyond our control. Future clinical studies may not begin or produce positive results in a timely fashion, if at all, and could prove time consuming and costly. Plans regarding development, approval and marketing of any of our drugs are subject to change at any time based on the changing needs of our company as determined by management and regulatory agencies. Regardless of the results of current or future studies, we may be unsuccessful in developing partnerships with other companies or obtaining capital that would allow us to further develop and/or fund any studies or trials. To date, we have incurred operating losses since our inception, and our ability to successfully develop and market drugs may be impacted by our ability to manage costs and finance our continuing operations. For a discussion of additional factors impacting our business, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and our subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although subsequent events may cause our views to change, we disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements.