Citius Pharmaceuticals Advances Efforts to Spin Off Oncology Asset, I/ONTAK, into a Standalone Public Company

 Source:  Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 3/30/2023

Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Citius" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CTXR) , a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing first-in-class critical care products, today announced that Maxim Group LLC will serve as financial advisor to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Citius Acquisition Corp. Inc., in connection with the intended formation of a separate publicly-traded entity to commercialize and grow Citius' oncology asset, I/ONTAK. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing a biologics license application (BLA) for I/ONTAK and has set a targeted decision date (PDUFA) of July 28, 2023.

"Citius is committed to maximizing the value of I/ONTAK and advancing our pipeline. Maxim Group has a strong track record of executing strategic and financial transactions in the life science sector, and we look forward to working closely with them to optimize the structure and timing of contemplated I/ONTAK transactions," stated Leonard Mazur, Chairman and CEO of Citius. 

Any transactions would be subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including final approval from the Citius Board of Directors, regulatory approvals, and SEC filings. Upon closing of the transactions, Citius would continue to trade on the Nasdaq exchange under its current ticker CTXR.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.  There can be no assurance regarding the ultimate timing of proposed transactions or that the transactions will be completed at all.

About Maxim Group LLC

Maxim Group LLC is a full-service investment banking firm headquartered in New York with approximately 240 employees. Maxim Group provides a full array of financial services, including investment banking; private wealth management; and global institutional equity, fixed-income, and derivatives sales and trading, as well as equity research. The investment banking group focuses on middle market and emerging growth companies within the shipping, energy, health care, technology, retail, and business and financial services sectors. The institutional coverage of Maxim Group spans North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Maxim Group LLC is registered as a broker-dealer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is a member of the following: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA); Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB); Securities Insurance Protection Corporation (SIPC); NASDAQ Stock Market and the NYSE Arca, Inc.

About Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Citius is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products, with a focus on oncology, anti-infectives in adjunct cancer care, unique prescription products, and stem cell therapies. The Company's diversified pipeline includes two late-stage product candidates, Mino-Lok®, an antibiotic lock solution for the treatment of patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections, which is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 3 Pivotal superiority trial, and I/ONTAK (E7777), a novel IL-2R immunotherapy for an initial indication in CTCL, for which a BLA is under review by the FDA. Mino-Lok® was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA. I/ONTAK has received orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of CTCL and PTCL. In the first half of 2022, Citius initiated a Phase 2b trial for Halo-Lido, a topical formulation for the relief of hemorrhoids.