Cerulean Announces Three Posters to be Presented with Preclinical CRLX101 Data at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting

Cerulean Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: CERU), a leader in Dynamic Tumor Targeting™, today announced that preclinical data on CRLX101, the Company's lead nanoparticle-drug conjugate (NDC), will be reported at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting being held in Philadelphia, PA, April 18-22. CRLX101 is a dual inhibitor of HIF-1α and topoisomerase-1 currently in clinical studies for multiple cancer types.

"HIF-1a has long been thought to be an Achilles heel of commonly used cancer therapies, such as anti-angiogenic drugs and radiotherapy, and it is now known to lead to resistance, angiogenesis, metastases and cancer stem cell growth," commented Chris Guiffre, Cerulean’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Posters from three well-established academic labs highlight different preclinical tumor types where CRLX101 durably inhibits HIF-1α, and the results support our combination treatment strategy by demonstrating the synergy of CRLX101 with treatments that increase HIF-1α.”

CRLX101 in Combination with Bevacizumab Can Reverse Effects of Hypoxia on Cancer Stem Cells
Title: CRLX101, an investigational camptothecin-containing nanoparticle-drug conjugate, reverses the HIF-1α mediated increase in cancer stem cells caused by bevacizumab in a preclinical model of triple-negative breast cancer
Poster Presentation: Monday April 20 - 8:00 am ET
Abstract Number: 1384
Presenter: Max Wicha, M.D., University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI

CRLX101 Monotherapy and in Combination with Bevacizumab Shrinks Tumors and Prevents New Metastases
Title: Potent Anti-Tumor and Metastatic Breast Cancer Efficacy of Bevacizumab with CRLX101, an Investigational Chemotherapy Nanoparticle-Drug Conjugate that Secondarily Suppresses HIF-1α
Poster Presentation: Tuesday April 21 - 1:00 pm ET
Abstract Number: 4124
Presenter: Robert Kerbel, Ph.D., Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada

CRLX101 Inhibits HIF-1α and Delays Tumor Growth When Combined with Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in Rectal Cancer
Title: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer with CRLX101, an investigational nanoparticle-drug conjugate with a camptothecin payload
Poster Presentation: Wednesday April 22 - 8:00 am ET
Abstract Number: 5515
Presenter: Andrew Wang, M.D., University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC

All of these abstracts can be viewed on the AACR website, www.aacr.org.

About CRLX101

CRLX101 is a dynamically tumor-targeted nanoparticle-drug conjugate (NDC) designed to concentrate in tumors and slowly release its anti-cancer payload, camptothecin, inside tumor cells. CRLX101 inhibits topoisomerase 1 (topo 1), which is involved in cellular replication, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which research suggests is a master regulator of cancer cell survival mechanisms thought to promote drug and radiation resistance. CRLX101 has shown activity in four different tumor types, both as monotherapy and in combination with other cancer treatments. CRLX101 is currently in Phase 2 clinical development and has been dosed in more than 250 patients.

About CRLX301

CRLX301 is a dynamically tumor-targeted NDC designed to concentrate in tumors and slowly release its anti-cancer payload, docetaxel, inside tumor cells. In preclinical studies, CRLX301 delivers up to 10 times more docetaxel into tumors, compared to an equivalent milligram dose of commercially available docetaxel and was superior to docetaxel in seven of seven animal models, with a statistically significant survival benefit seen in five of those seven models. In addition, preclinical data show that CRLX301 had lower toxicity than has been reported with docetaxel in similar preclinical studies. CRLX301 is currently in Phase 1 clinical development.

About Cerulean Pharma

The Cerulean team is committed to improving treatment for people living with cancer. We apply our Dynamic Tumor Targeting Platform to create a portfolio of NDCs designed to selectively attack tumor cells, reduce toxicity by sparing the body’s normal cells, and enable therapeutic combinations. Our first platform-generated candidate, CRLX101, is in multiple clinical trials in combination with other cancer treatments, all of which aim to unlock the power of combination therapy. Our second platform-generated candidate, CRLX301, is in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial. For more information, please visit www.ceruleanrx.com.

About Cerulean’s Dynamic Tumor Targeting™ Platform

Cerulean’s Dynamic Tumor Targeting Platform creates NDCs that are designed to provide safer and more effective cancer treatments. We believe our NDCs concentrate their anti-cancer payloads inside tumors while sparing normal tissue because they are small enough to pass through the “leaky” vasculature present in tumors but are too large to pass through the wall of healthy blood vessels. Once inside tumors, our NDCs enter tumor cells where they slowly release anti-cancer payloads from within the tumor cells.

Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about our future expectations, plans and prospects, including statements about the clinical development of our product candidates, statements about our estimated research and development expenses and sufficiency of cash to fund specified use of cash and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hypothesize,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “would,” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties inherent in the initiation of clinical trials, availability and timing of data from ongoing and future clinical trials and the results of such trials, whether preliminary results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of that trial or whether results of early clinical trials will be indicative of the results of later clinical trials, expectations for regulatory approvals, availability of funding sufficient for our foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2015 and in other filings that we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We specifically disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements included in this press release.

Avastin® is a trademark of Genentech, Inc.