Biostage Appoints to its Scientific Advisory Board Charles S. Cox, Jr., MD

The Scientific Advisory Board's role is to provide scientific guidance and governance for Biostage's research and development programs. Dr. Cox joins Co-Chairmen Joseph Vacanti, MD and Stephen Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD and Dr. Christine Finck, MD on the advisory board.

Dr. Badylak commented, "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Cox to Biostage's Scientific Advisory Board. His unique combination of pediatric, surgical, cell therapy and cell-based tissue engineering makes him particularly well-suited to bring scientific guidance and leadership to Biostage. Dr. Cox and his laboratory at the UT Health Science Center have been significant contributors to Biostage through their collaborative agreement.  Having Dr. Cox on the Scientific Advisory Board will only increase the level of positive results we are able to generate as a team."

Dr. Cox stated, "I look forward to continuing to work with the team at Biostage. I am excited about this opportunity to provide oversight, and contribute to advancing this technology and translating it to a clinical setting."

Jim McGorry, Chief Executive Officer of Biostage, commented, "We are delighted with the recent additions of Dr. Cox and Dr. Christine Finck to our Scientific Advisory Board.  We believe that our technology's ability to attract this prestigious group of experts to our Scientific Advisory Board is a testament to our technology's potential. Their knowledge and experience in the field of regenerative medicine will be invaluable as we rapidly progress our Cellspan Esophageal Implant through the remainder of pre-clinical development and into the clinic." 

About Dr. Cox

Dr. Charles S. Cox, Jr., is the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences and directs the Pediatric Surgical Translational Laboratories and Pediatric Program in Regenerative Medicine at the UTHealth McGovern Medical School. He directs the Pediatric Trauma Program at the UTHealth Medical School/Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

A Texas native, Dr. Cox received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program. Upon graduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch, he completed his Surgery residency at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Further post-graduate fellowships were completed in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Michigan, an NIH T32 sponsored clinical and research fellowship in cardiopulmonary support/circulatory support devices/bio-hybrid organs at the Shriner's Burns Institute, and Surgical Critical Care/Trauma at UTHealth Medical School. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery in Surgery, with added qualifications in Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

The Pediatric Translational Laboratories and Pediatric Program in Regenerative Medicine is a multi-disciplinary effort that addresses problems that originate with traumatic injury and the consequences of resuscitation and critical care. The Program focuses on progenitor cell-based therapy (stem cells) for traumatic brain injury, and related neurological injuries (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, stroke, spinal cord injury), recently completing the first acute, autologous cell therapy treatment Phase I study for traumatic brain injury in children.

The program also develops novel bio-hybrid organs using cell-based and tissue engineering approaches to trauma and injury related problems. These efforts have recently resulted in two IND based cell therapeutic studies, and three patents in the past two years. The program is funded through the National Institutes of Health, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Industry Collaboration, and philanthropic contributions.

Dr. Cox has served on scientific study sections/review groups for the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Veterans Affairs MERIT Awards, Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, as well as National Research Programs in Canada, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. He is the author of over 100 scientific publications, 20 book chapters, and is the editor of a text in press entitled, Progenitor Cell Therapy for Neurological Injury.

Upcoming Business Update

Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 9:00 AM ET Biostage will host a conference call with a live audio webcast to provide a business update.  Updates will be provided by CEO Jim McGorry and the Company's Scientific Advisory Board.

To participate in the call, please dial (877) 407-8293 (domestic) or (201) 689-8349 (international). The live webcast will be accessible on the Events page of the Investors section on the Company's website at www.biostage.com, and will be archived for 60 days. An audio webcast will be available for one week following the call and can be accessed during that period by dialing (877) 660-6853 (domestic) or (201) 612-7415 (international) with Conference ID #: 13676470. 

About Biostage, Inc.

Biostage is a biotechnology company developing bioengineered organ implants based on the Company's Cellframe^™ technology which combines a proprietary biocompatible scaffold with a patient's own stem cells to create Cellspan organ implants. Cellspan implants are being developed to treat life-threatening conditions of the esophagus, bronchus or trachea with the hope of dramatically improving the treatment paradigm for patients. Based on its preclinical data, Biostage has selected life-threatening conditions of the esophagus as the initial clinical application of its technology.

For more information, please visit www.biostage.com and connect with the Company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking" statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to development expectations and regulatory approval of any of the Company's products, including those utilizing its Cellframe technology, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency or otherwise, which expectations or approvals may not be achieved or obtained on a timely basis or at all; or success with respect to any collaborations, clinical trials and other development and commercialization efforts of the Company's products, including those utilizing its Cellframe technology, which such success may not be achieved or obtained on a timely basis or at all. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release, including, among other things, the Company's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for its products; plus other factors described under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 or described in the Company's other public filings. The Company's results may also be affected by factors of which the Company is not currently aware. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Investor Relations Contacts:
Tom McNaughton                                             
Chief Financial Officer                                    
774-233-7300                                                    
[email protected]

SOURCE Biostage Inc.

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