Galmed Pharmaceuticals to Host Post-EASL Key Opinion Leader Call on the Scientific Rationale and Clinical Development of Aramchol™ for NASH

TEL AVIV, Israel, April 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Nasdaq: GLMD) ("Galmed" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of the liver targeted SCD1 modulator Aramchol™, a once-daily, oral therapy for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, announced today that it will host a Post-European Association for the Study of the Liver ("EASL") Key Opinion Leader ("KOL") call on the Scientific Rationale and Clinical Development of Aramchol for NASH, on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 1:00pm ET.

The call will feature presentations by the KOLs Scott Friedman, MD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Arun Sanyal, MD, from VCU Medical Center, who will provide takeaways from Galmed's presentation and scientific workshop at EASL, including a discussion on the biological heterogeneity within NASH populations and new scientific data on the mechanism by which Aramchol exerts its effect on fibrosis.  KOLs and Galmed's management team will be available to answer questions at the conclusion of the call.

Scott L. Friedman, MD, is Dean for Therapeutic Discovery and Chief of the Division of Liver Diseases, at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, NY. A graduate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  He was a Medical Resident at Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Gastroenterology Fellow at UCSF before assuming a 10-year faculty position there. He then joined the faculty as the Fishberg Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 1997 and is currently the Chief of the Division of Liver Diseases and Dean for Therapeutic Discovery.  A recipient of many international honors including the Distinguished Achievement awards of the AASLD and the American Liver Foundation, and the International Hans Popper Prize, Professor Friedman has mentored over 75 postdoctoral fellows and students. He has been a named lecturer or Visiting Professor at more than 40 institutions worldwide, and has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. Professor Friedman is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians and has been elected Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Physicians, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (where he is also past-president) and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He currently consults for over 50 pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and is widely viewed as one of the leading experts in fibrosis in the world.

Arun J. Sanyal, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Gastroenterology Division of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Sanyal also serves as Chairman of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network and the Liver Forum for NASH and fibrosis, Chair of the NIMBLE network of the FNIH for Noninvasive Assessments in NASH and Chair of the Liver Forum. His research has spanned the translation of basic science to clinical space and more recently the translation of clinical trials to health policy and clinical practice. Professor Sanyal's research interests include all aspects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and NASH as well as complications of end-stage liver disease. He has served as a member of numerous advisory boards to pharmaceutical companies and also the liver center at Yale University. He chaired the hepatobiliary pathophysiology study section of the NIH and was a founding member of the Hepatology Committee of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has also served as Secretary and President of the American Association for Study of Liver Diseases. Professor Sanyal authored more than 300 articles in such publications as Cell Metabolism, Nature Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and The Journal of Infectious Diseases. He has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1995 and is the principal investigator of five active NIH grants. He is currently the Executive Director of the Research Training Programs of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Conference Call

For those who are unable to listen at this time, a replay of the call will be available by clicking here. 

About Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.:

Galmed is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of Aramchol, a first in class, novel, once-daily, oral therapy for the treatment of NASH for variable populations. Galmed is currently conducting the ARREST Study, a multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb clinical study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aramchol in 247 subjects with NASH, who are overweight or obese, and who are pre-diabetic or type-II-diabetic. More information about the ARREST Study may be found on ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02279524.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may include forward-looking statements, including those related to the closing of the offering.  Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Galmed's objectives, plans and strategies, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that Galmed intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believes," "hopes," "may," "anticipates," "should," "intends," "plans," "will," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions and are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Many factors could cause Galmed's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the timing and cost of Galmed's ongoing Phase IIb ARREST Study, and planned Phase III trials for Aramchol, or whether Phase III trials will be conducted at all; completion and receiving favorable results of these Phase IIb ARREST Study and Phase III trials for Aramchol; regulatory action with respect to Aramchol by the FDA or the EMA; the commercial launch and future sales of Aramchol or any other future product candidates; Galmed's ability to comply with all applicable post-market regulatory requirements for Aramchol in the countries in which it seeks to market the product; Galmed's ability to achieve favorable pricing for Aramchol; Galmed's expectations regarding the commercial market for NASH in patients who are overweight or obese and have pre diabetes or type II diabetes mellitus; third-party payor reimbursement for Aramchol; Galmed's estimates regarding anticipated capital requirements and Galmed's needs for additional financing; market adoption of Aramchol by physicians and patients; the timing, cost or other aspects of the commercial launch of Aramchol; the development and approval of the use of Aramchol for additional indications or in combination therapy; and Galmed's expectations regarding licensing, acquisitions and strategic operations. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting Galmed is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in Galmed's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 13, 2018, and in other filings that Galmed has made and may make with the SEC in the future. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and reflect Galmed's current views with respect to future events, and Galmed does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

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