SHAREHOLDER ALERT:  Pomerantz Law Firm Reminds Shareholders with Losses on their Investment in CTI BioPharma Corp. of Class Action Lawsuit and Upcoming Deadline – CTIC

NEW YORK, March 27, 2016 -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against CTI BioPharma Corp. (“CTI BioPharma” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:CTIC) and certain of its officers.   The class action, filed in United States District Court, Western District of Washington, and docketed under 16-cv-00216, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased CTI BioPharma securities: (1) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company’s Registration Statement and Prospectus (collectively, the “Registration Statement”) issued in connection with the Company’s public offering on or about September 24, 2015 (the “Offering”); and/or (2) between March 4, 2014 and February 9, 2016, inclusive (the “Class Period”). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). 

If you are a shareholder who purchased CTI BioPharma securities during the Class Period, you have until April 11, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class.  A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com.   To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

CTI BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company which provides medical research services, and develops clinical treatment and drugs for various cancers. One of the Company’s most advanced pipeline products was pacritinib, a treatment for myleofibrosis.

On September 24, 2015, CTI BioPharma priced an offering of 10,000,000 shares, at a price of $1.57 per share.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) that pacritinib was attributed as a potential cause in the death and injuries of several patients; (2) that the Company’s clinical trials showed the dangers of pacritinib usage; (3) that the Company’s new drug application for pacritinib would likely be withdrawn; (4) that, as such, the Company’s future revenues were impaired; (5) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls; and (6) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company’s financial statements and Defendants’ statements about CTI BioPharma’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On February 8, 2016, CTI BioPharma issued a press release announcing that a partial clinical hold has been placed on pacritinib by the U.S. Food and Drug administration (“FDA”). Under the FDA’s clinical hold, the Company, “may not enroll new patients or start pacritinib as an initial or crossover treatment, and (ii) patients on pacritinib not deriving benefit after 30-weeks of pacritinib treatment should stop pacritinib.” The Company further disclosed that, “[i]n its written notification, the FDA cited the reasons for the partial clinical hold were that it identified the following fatal and life-threatening safety issues in pacritinib-treated patients: heart failure, hemorrhage including intracranial hemorrhage, and arrhythmias including sudden death, and the FDA has also noted excess mortality in pacritinib-treated patients compared to the control arm in the PERSIST-1 clinical trial evaluating pacritinib.”

On this news, shares of CTI BioPharma declined $0.68 per share, or over 60% to close at $0.44 on February 8, 2016, on unusually heavy volume.

On February 9, 2016, the Company issued a press release announcing that the FDA had placed a full clinical hold on pacritinib.

On this news the Company’s shares fell over 40% during intraday trading on February 10, 2016, on unusually heavy volume of over 15 million shares.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]