YONKERS, NY--(Marketwired - April 19, 2017) - ContraFect Corporation (NASDAQ: CFRX), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of protein and antibody therapeutics for life-threatening, drug-resistant infectious diseases, today announces the presentation of new data from its Phase 1 CF-301 study at the 27^th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ECCMID) to be held on April 22-25, 2017 in Vienna, Austria.

ContraFect's lead compound, CF-301 is a first-in-class lysin which has demonstrated a rapid and potent ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus (Staph aureus) bacteria in vitro and in animal studies. CF-301 is currently in development for the treatment of bacteremia due to Staph aureus, including methicillin resistant strains (MRSA). Initial results from the Phase 1, first-in-human study of CF-301 in healthy volunteers, which were presented in a late breaker presentation at ECCMID 2016, showed CF-301 to be well-tolerated with no clinical adverse safety signals. This year, long term follow-up data from this Phase 1 trial will be presented at ECCMID. In addition, a newly developed methodology for testing the susceptibility of Staph aureus bacteria to CF-301 in clinical settings will be presented.

"We are pleased to return to ECCMID, where we will present additional six-month follow up results from the initial Phase 1 study which extend our understanding of the safety profile of CF-301 and the timeframe for the resolution of anti-drug antibodies. We are also presenting a new methodology for CF-301 susceptibility testing, which has been optimized for use in clinical testing laboratories and which will be used in our upcoming Phase 2 study," said Cara Cassino, M.D., EVP of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer at ContraFect.

Presentation Details:

Presentation Title: Long-Term Immunology Follow-up Results of a Phase 1 Placebo Controlled Dose Escalating Study to Examine the Safety of Intravenous Doses of CF-301 In Human Subjects
Session Day & Time: Saturday, April 22, 2017, 3:30p - 4:30p CET (10:30a-11:30a ET)
Abstract Number: 7121
Session Title: Phages and Phage Products

Presentation Title: Development of an Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test (AST) for the Antistaphylococcal Lysin CF-301
Session Day & Time: Saturday, April 22, 2017, 08:45a - 3:30p CET (3:45a-10:30a ET)
E-poster number: EV0038
Abstract Number: 6193
Session Title: Bacterial Susceptibility & Resistance

The abstracts can be accessed through the ECCMID website. Following the meeting, the presentation posters will be available on the ContraFect Corporation website.

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 also conducting research focused on the discovery of lysins to target Gram-negative bacteria.

About CF-301:

CF-301 is a recombinant bacteriophage-derived lysin with potent bactericidal activity against Staph aureus, a major cause of blood stream infections, or bacteremia. CF-301 has the potential to be a first-in-class treatment for Staph aureus bacteremia. It has a novel, rapid, and specific mechanism of bactericidal action against Staph aureus and does not impact the body's natural bacterial flora. By targeting a conserved region of the cell wall that is vital to bacteria, resistance is less likely to develop to CF-301. Combinations of CF-301 with standard of care antibiotics significantly increased bacterial killing and survival in animal models of disease when compared to treatment with antibiotics or CF-301 alone. In addition, in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that CF-301 is highly active against biofilm infections. CF-301 was licensed from The Rockefeller University and is being developed at ContraFect and is the first lysin to enter clinical studies in the U.S.

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, 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 our initial product candidates can treat antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and influenza, and our ability to discover new lysins targeting Gram-negative bacteria. 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.