GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it will host a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) call on ALT-801, the Company’s GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonist for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), on Thursday, December 5^th at 11am Eastern Time.

The call will feature a presentation by Stephen A. Harrison, MD (Pinnacle Clinical Research), a leading expert in the field of NASH, who will provide an overview of current and future treatment approaches for this disorder. Dr. Harrison will be available to answer questions at the conclusion of the call.

The meeting will also feature a presentation by Altimmune's management team, which will provide an update on their NASH product candidate, ALT-801, a novel peptide-based dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist. As demonstrated in relevant animal models, ALT-801 is capable of inducing significant weight loss and treating the obesity and metabolic dysfunction underlying the disorder. ALT-801 acts earlier in liver disease progression than other NASH product candidates in development and has shown the potential to return metabolic and liver function to normal. Altimmune plans to advance ALT-801 into Phase 1 development in 2020.

Stephen A. Harrison, MD earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Brooke Army Medical Center and a 4th year advanced liver disease fellowship at Saint Louis University. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Harrison served as a Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is currently a Visiting Professor of Hepatology at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. He is a past Associate Editor for Hepatology and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He is a peer-reviewer for over 20 medical journals and internationally known for studies in hepatitis C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with over 200 peer reviewed publications in these fields. Dr. Harrison most recently served as a Colonel in the United States Army. Retiring in 2016, he concluded 20 years of dedicated service to his country. During his army tenure, he served as the Director of Graduate Medical Education at Brooke Army Medical Center, Associate Dean for the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium and Gastroenterology Consultant to the Army Surgeon General. Dr. Harrison currently serves as the Medical Director for Pinnacle Clinical Research and the President of Summit Clinical Research.

Following the conclusion of the call, the webcast will be available for replay on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.altimmune.com.  The company has used, and intends to continue to use, the investor relations portion of its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

About Altimmune

Altimmune is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for liver disease and immune modulating therapies. Our diverse pipeline includes next generation peptide therapeutics for NASH (ALT-801) and chronic hepatitis B (HepTcell™), conjugated immunostimulants for the treatment of cancer (ALT-702) and intranasal vaccines (NasoVAX™ and NasoShield™). For more information on Altimmune, please visit www.altimmune.com.

Forward-Looking Statement 

Any statements made in this press release relating to future financial or business performance, conditions, plans, prospects, trends, or strategies and other financial and business matters, including without limitation, the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study in 2020, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, when or if used in this press release, the words “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict” and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to Altimmune, Inc. (the “Company”) may identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including risks relating to: the reliability of the results of the studies relating to human safety and possible adverse effects resulting from the administration of the Company’s product candidates; funding delays, reductions in or elimination of U.S. government funding and/or non-renewal of expiring funding under the Company’s agreement with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”), or the Company’s contract with the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”); the Company’s ability to satisfy certain technical milestones under the Company’s contracts with BARDA and NIAID that would entitle the Company to receive additional funding over the period of the agreement; the preservation of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards; the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; delays caused by third parties challenging government contracts awarded to the Company; the receipt of future potential payments under government contracts or grants; the Company’s ability to identify potential future government contracts or grant awards; the Company’s ability to obtain potential regulatory approvals on the timelines anticipated, or at all; the Company’s ability to obtain additional patents or extend existing patents on the timelines anticipated, or at all; the Company’s ability to identify and consummate potential future strategic partnerships or business combinations; the Company’s ability to expand its pipeline of products and the success of future product advancements, including the success of future clinical trials, and the Company’s ability to commercialize its products; the Company’s anticipated financial or operational results; the Company’s ability to obtain additional capital resources; unforeseen safety and efficacy issues; breaches of data privacy, or disruptions in the Company’s information technology systems; and the Company’s ability to continue to satisfy the listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market. Further information on the factors and risks that could affect the Company's business, financial conditions and results of operations are contained in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.

Source: Altimmune, Inc.