Gemphire to Host Key Opinion Leader Lunch on the Evolving NASH Landscape

LIVONIA, Mich., May 04, 2017 -- Gemphire Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:GEMP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for cardiometabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia and NASH, will host a key opinion leader (KOL) lunch to discuss the evolving nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) landscape in New York City on Tuesday, May 9 from 12:00pm - 1:30pm Eastern Time.

The meeting will feature a presentation by key opinion leader David E. Cohen, MD, PhD (Weill Cornell), who will discuss the disease, evolving evaluation and clinical trial endpoints, and the current and investigational therapies for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).  Dr. Cohen will be available to answer questions following the lunch. 

Gemphire's management team will also provide an overview of the Company’s ongoing clinical development work and commercial opportunity in cardiometabolic diseases focused on dyslipidemia and NASH with its lead drug candidate gemcabene.  Gemcabene is a first-in-class, once-daily oral pill with the potential to be used as an adjunctive therapy to further reduce LDL-C (cholesterol), hsCRP (inflammation), and TGs (fat), while increasing insulin sensitization especially in diabetic and obese (‘diabesity’) patients which make up a large portion of the NASH population.

David E. Cohen, MD, PhD is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Vincent Astor Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.  He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Hepatology.  In addition, Dr. Cohen is the co-director of the Center for Advanced Digestive Care at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital.  Dr. Cohen has served as a member of the NIH Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology Study Section and as Chair of the American Heart Association Lipoprotein and Lipid Metabolism Study Section, National Chapter.  A member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Interurban Clinical Club, Dr. Cohen is an internationally renowned physician-scientist with a major interest in the molecular regulation of hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism.  The Cohen Laboratory has focused on the molecular regulation of nutrient metabolism and energy homeostasis by membrane lipids.  Dr. Cohen’s research has been published in American Journal of Physiology, Journal of Lipid Research, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Hepatology, Gene, and Biochemistry, among others.  He is also the author of numerous book chapters.

This lunch event is intended for institutional investors, sell-side analysts, investment bankers, and business development professionals only.  Please RSVP in advance if you plan to attend, as space is limited.  To reserve a spot, please contact LifeSci Advisors, LLC at [email protected].  A live and archived webcast of the event, with slides, will be available at on the investors section of the Company’s website at www.gemphire.com and http://lifesci.rampard.com/20170509/reg.jsp.

About Gemcabene
Gemphire’s product candidate, gemcabene (CI-1027), is a first-in-class, once-daily, oral therapy that may be suitable for patients who are unable to achieve normal levels of LDL-C or triglycerides with currently approved therapies, primarily statins.  Gemcabene's mechanism of action is designed to enhance the clearance of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) in the plasma and inhibit the production of cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver.  The combined effect for these mechanisms has been clinically observed to result in a reduction of plasma VLDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides.  In addition, gemcabene has been shown to markedly lower C-reactive protein and improve insulin sensitization.  Gemcabene is liver-directed and reduces apoC-III mRNA and plasma levels.  Gemcabene also reduces acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and CCR2/CCR5 receptor mRNA levels, which may have applications in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  Gemcabene has demonstrated proof of concept efficacy in the STAM™ model for NASH developed at SMC Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan.  Gemcabene has been tested as monotherapy and in combination with statins and other drugs in 895 subjects across 18 Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials and has demonstrated promising evidence of efficacy, safety and tolerability.

About Gemphire
Gemphire is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is committed to helping patients with cardiometabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia and NASH.  We are focused on providing new treatment options for cardiometabolic diseases through our complementary, convenient, cost-effective product candidate gemcabene as add-on to the standard of care especially statins that will benefit patients, physicians, and payors.  Gemphire has 3 clinical trials ongoing for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH)/atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG) under NCT02722408, NCT02634151, and NCT02944383, respectively with a fourth planned trial in NASH in second half of 2017.  Please visit www.gemphire.com for more information.

Forward Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about Gemphire’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including statements about Gemphire’s financial prospects, future operations and sufficiency of funds for future operations, clinical development of Gemphire’s product candidate, expectations regarding future clinical trials and future expectations and plans and prospects for Gemphire, expectations regarding operating expenses and cash used in operations, and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "targets," "may," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," “scheduled” 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 success and timing of Gemphire’s regulatory submissions and pre-clinical and clinical trials; regulatory requirements or developments; changes to Gemphire’s clinical trial designs and regulatory pathways; changes in Gemphire’s capital resource requirements; Gemphire’s ability to obtain additional financing; Gemphire’s ability to successfully market and distribute its product candidate, if approved; Gemphire’s ability to obtain and maintain its intellectual property protection; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Gemphire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and in other filings Gemphire makes with the SEC from time to time.  In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Gemphire’s views as of the date hereof.  Gemphire anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Gemphire’s views to change.  However, while Gemphire may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Gemphire specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.  These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Gemphire’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

Contact:
Andrew McDonald, Ph.D.
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
(646) 597-6987

Jeff Mathiesen, CFO
Gemphire Therapeutics Inc.
(734)-245-1700