Athersys to Present at Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s 4th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Investor Day in New York

CLEVELAND, March 18, 2016 -- Athersys, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATHX) announced today that Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman and CEO, will present at the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s 4th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Investor Day on March 22, 2016.  The event will be held at the Metropolitan Club in New York City and the company presentation for Athersys will begin at 2:10 pm in the Main Bar Room of the Metropolitan Club.

A live-streaming webcast of all panels and company presentations will be available at http://www.arminvestorday.com/webcast and will be published on the event's website approximately 1-2 weeks after the conference.

Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and co-hosted with Piper Jaffray, this one-day, high impact program provides institutional, strategic and venture investors with unique insight into the financing hypothesis for advanced therapies-based treatment and tools. The event includes clinical and commercial experts who are on-hand to address specific questions regarding the outlook for these products, as well as offer insight into how cell and gene therapies could impact the standard of care in key therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular disease, wound healing and tissue repair, ophthalmology, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and oncology. The program will include talks by key opinion leaders in the industry, life science investment experts and analysts covering the sector as well as presentations by more than 30 leading companies from across the globe.

About Athersys

Athersys is an international biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic product candidates designed to extend and enhance the quality of human life. The Company is developing its MultiStem^® cell therapy product, a patented, adult-derived "off-the-shelf" stem cell product, initially for disease indications in the cardiovascular, neurological, inflammatory and immune disease areas, and has several ongoing clinical trials evaluating this potential regenerative medicine product. Athersys has forged strategic partnerships and collaborations with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as world-renowned research institutions to further develop its platform and products. More information is available at www.athersys.com.

Contact:
William (B.J.) Lehmann, J.D.                                     
President and Chief Operating Officer                                  
Tel: (216) 431-9900                            
[email protected]