Celladon Corporation Reports Inducement Grants Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)


SAN DIEGO, March 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celladon Corporation (Nasdaq:CLDN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company with industry-leading expertise in the development of cardiovascular gene therapy, today announced that on March 9, 2015 the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors approved the grant of inducement stock options to purchase a total of 40,000 shares of common stock to three new employees, with two of such grants having a grant date of March 9, 2015 (the "March 9 Grants") and the third having a grant date of March 11, 2015 (the "March 11 Grant"), with each such grant date corresponding to the employees' respective hire dates.

Each of the March 9 Grants has an exercise price per share equal to $24.89, the fair market value on the grant date of the March 9 Grants. The March 11 Grant has an exercise price per share equal to $25.99, the fair market value on the grant date of the March 11 Grant. Each stock option vests over the course of four years, with 25% vesting on the one-year anniversary of the employee's first day of employment with the Company and 1/48 of the shares vesting monthly thereafter, subject to the new employee's continued service relationship with the Company on each such date. Each stock option has a ten year term and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan and applicable stock option agreement.

Each of the stock options was granted as an inducement material to the new employees entering into employment with Celladon Corporation in accordance with NASDAQ listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

About Celladon

Celladon is a clinical-stage biotechnology company applying its leadership position in the field of cardiovascular gene therapy to develop novel therapies for diseases with tremendous unmet medical needs. Our lead programs target SERCA enzymes which are a family of enzymes that play an integral part in the regulation of intra-cellular calcium in all human cells. Calcium dysregulation is implicated in a number of important and complex medical conditions and diseases, such as heart failure, vascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. MYDICAR, the Company's most advanced product candidate, uses gene therapy to target SERCA2a, which is an enzyme that becomes deficient in patients with advanced heart failure. Celladon has completed enrollment of a 250 patient Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of MYDICAR in reducing the frequency of, or delaying heart failure-related hospitalizations. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational trial is evaluating a single intracoronary infusion of MYDICAR versus placebo added to a maximal, optimized heart failure regimen in patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV symptoms of chronic heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. The Company has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for this MYDICAR program and expects to report results from the Phase 2b clinical trial in April 2015. In addition, the Company conducts research and development on its mSCF gene therapy program for cardiac diseases. Celladon has also identified a number of potential first-in-class compounds addressing novel targets in diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases with its small molecule platform of SERCA2b modulators. For more information, please visit www.celladon.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Celladon's plans to research, develop and commercialize product candidates, as well as expected timing for reporting results from clinical trials. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Celladon's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with viral manufacturing processes and other product development activities, clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to commercialize product candidates, our reliance on third parties, the need to raise additional funding when needed in order to conduct our business, and the degree of market acceptance of MYDICAR by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Celladon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Celladon undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.


            

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