Athenex Pharmaceutical Division Receives FDA Clearance to Import Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% Injection to Address U.S. Drug Shortage

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 12, 2017 -- Athenex, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATNX), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has granted clearance for Athenex Pharmaceutical Division (“APD”) to import Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% Injection in response to a national drug shortage of that product.  This FDA clearance allows APD to import Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% Injection through February 2018 or for the duration of the shortage.

Jeffrey Yordon, Athenex’s Chief Operating Officer and President of Athenex’s Pharmaceutical Division, stated, “Sodium Bicarbonate is currently on the drug shortage list of the FDA. We are happy to help provide a solution to the current shortage as we remain focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of cancer.” The importation of Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% Injection began in early June 2017 and is currently helping supply the US market demand.

Important information for Health Care Providers regarding Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4% Injection from Athenex is available at www.athenex.com.

About Athenex, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Athenex, Inc. is a global clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery and development of next generation drugs for the treatment of cancer. Athenex is organized around three platforms including an Oncology Innovation Platform, a Commercial Platform and a Global Supply Chain Platform. Athenex’s Oncology Innovation Platform generates clinical candidates through an extensive understanding of kinases, including novel binding sites, human absorption biology and through the application of Athenex’s proprietary research and selection processes in the lab. The Company’s current clinical pipeline is derived from two different platform technologies Athenex calls Orascovery and Src Kinase Inhibition. The Orascovery platform is based on the novel oral P-glycoprotein pump inhibitor molecule HM30181A, through which Athenex is able to facilitate oral absorption of traditional cytotoxics, which Athenex believes may offer improved patient tolerability and efficacy as compared to IV administration of the same cytotoxics. The Src Kinase Inhibition platform refers to novel small molecule compounds that have multiple mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of the activity of Src Kinase and the inhibition of tubulin polymerization during cell division. Athenex believes the combination of these mechanisms of action provides a broader range of anti-cancer activity as compared to either mechanism of action alone. Athenex’s employees worldwide are dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by creating more active and tolerable treatments. Athenex has offices in Buffalo and Clarence, New York, Cranford, New Jersey, Houston, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Hong Kong, Taipei Taiwan, and multiple locations in Chongqing, China.

CONTACT:

Nick Riehle
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