Cerulean Pharma's Lead Candidate Selected as a "Top 10 Oncology Project to Watch"

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerulean Pharma Inc., a leader in developing dynamically tumor-targeted nanopharmaceuticals, today announced that its lead candidate, CRLX101, was named as one of the "Top 10 Oncology Projects to Watch" by an independent panel of experts convened by Elsevier Business Intelligence and the Campbell Alliance.

The panel selected compounds using various criteria, including market size and medical need, development history, supporting science, potential for expansion beyond the initial indications and multi-level partnering opportunities.

As part of this recognition, Christopher Guiffre, senior vice president and chief business officer of Cerulean, will present the CRLX101 opportunity at Windhover's Therapeutic Area Partnerships meeting taking place on November 28 through 30, 2012, at the Westin Copley in Boston. Mr. Guiffre's presentation will occur on Thursday, November 29 at 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time.

"Cerulean's nanopharmaceuticals dynamically target tumors by entering through the large pores associated with blood vessels leading to tumors and releasing their drug inside the tumor over time," said Oliver Fetzer, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cerulean. "This approach, which relies not on the patient's genetic profile but on a characteristic of blood vessels common to many tumors, allows us to evaluate CRLX101 in multiple tumor types as a monotherapy and in combination with Avastin®."

About CRLX101

CRLX101 is an investigational anti-cancer agent that is a dual inhibitor of topoisomerase 1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α). CRLX101 is designed to concentrate in tumors, prolonging drug exposure at the site of action. Significant anti-tumor activity has been observed across a wide range of cancers in animal models. CRLX101 is in Phase 2 clinical development. More information can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Cerulean Pharma Inc.

Cerulean Pharma Inc. is a clinical-stage company specializing in the development of dynamically tumor-targeted nanopharmaceuticals. Cerulean is applying its proprietary nanopharmaceutical platform to advance a new class of therapeutic agents to address significant unmet medical needs. With an initial focus in oncology, the Company's technology platform can be applied to a wide range of drug molecules, ranging from small molecules to peptides and RNAs. Cerulean is privately financed and funded by experienced healthcare investors, including Polaris Venture Partners, Venrock, Lilly Ventures, Lux Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, and CVF, LLC. Cerulean is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.ceruleanrx.com.

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SOURCE Cerulean Pharma Inc.