Helix BioPharma Corp Welcomes Drs. Daniel Von Hoff, Kazimierz Roszkowski-Sliz and Robert Gillies to Its Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, March 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX:HBP) (FSE:HBP) ("Helix" or the "Company"), an immuno-oncology company developing innovative drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of cancer, today announced the formation of the Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board ("SSAB") with a renowned group of physicians and scientists.

Members of the SSAB include Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, Dr. Kazimierz Roszkowski-Sliz and Dr. Robert Gillies.

Dr. Von Hoff is currently Physician in Chief, Distinguished Professor, Translational Research at TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute) in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also Senior Consultant, Clinical Investigations for the City of Hope; Chief Scientific Officer for HonorHealth Research Institute; Medical Director of Research, Chief Scientific Officer, US Oncology, Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic and past President of the American Association for Cancer Research.  Dr. Von Hoff was involved in a development of a number of therapeutics that are routinely used in treating cancer today.

Dr. Roszkowski-Sliz is the Director and Head of Clinical of the National Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Research Institute in Poland; National Consultant for Lung Diseases, Ministry of Health; Chairman of Scientific Council of Ministry of Health; and Chairman of the Scientific Council of the National Center Institute of Oncology, Poland. Dr. Roszkowski-Sliz is an expert in the treatment of lung diseases.

Dr. Robert Gillies holds the Martin Silbiger Endowed Chair and is Chair of the Department of Cancer Physiology and Vice-Chair (Research) of the Department of Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute; and Professor Emeritus, Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, University of Arizona. He is past president of the Society for Molecular Imaging and has served on numerous grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense, consulting on cancer physiology and imaging.  Dr. Gillies is an expert in tumor acidity and has published extensively in this area of research.

The Company's SSAB is mandated to provide scientific and strategic advice to Helix.  The Board will meet regularly and will be joined by Heman Chao, the Company's CEO and CSO.

"We are thrilled to have attracted some of the world's leading experts in cancer treatment and drug development to Helix's team," said Dr. Slawomir Majewski, Chairman of the Board.  "Importantly, the formation of our SSAB serves as an endorsement for scientific and clinical enthusiasm for DOS47 and more broadly the Company's unique tumor microenvironment platform."

About Helix BioPharma Corp.

Helix BioPharma Corp. is an immuno-oncology company specializing in the field of cancer therapy. The Company is actively developing innovative products for the prevention and treatment of cancer based on its proprietary technologies. Helix's product development initiatives include its novel L-DOS47 new drug candidate. Helix is currently listed on the TSX and FSE under the symbol "HBP".

Investor Relations

Helix BioPharma Corp.
9120 Leslie Street, Suite 205
Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3J9
Tel: 905-841-2300
Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws including, without limitation, those relating to Helix's operations and strategy and its research and development activities. These statements generally can be identified by forward looking words such as "ongoing", "excited", "efforts", "will" or "modify", and other similar expressions, are intended to provide information about management's current plans and expectations.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning (i) the Company's ability to operate as a going concern being dependent mainly on obtaining additional financing; (ii) the Company's priority continuing to be L-DOS47; (iii) the Company's development programs for DOS47, L-DOS47, V-DOS47 and CAR-T; (iv) future expenditures, the insufficiency of the Company's current cash resources and the need for financing; and (v) future financing requirements and the seeking of additional funding. Forward-looking statements can further be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "ongoing", "estimates", "expects", or the negative thereof or any other variations thereon or comparable terminology referring to future events or results, or that events or conditions "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved, or comparable terminology referring to future events or results.

Although Helix believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated and no assurance can be given that these expectations will be realized, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, risks inherent in Helix's research and development activities and those risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, as more fully described in Helix's most recent Annual Information Form, including under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", filed under Helix's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (together, the "Helix Risk Factors"). Certain material factors, estimates or assumptions have been applied in making forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the safety and efficacy of the Company's drug product candidates; that sufficient financing will be obtained in a timely manner to allow the Company to continue operations and implement its clinical trials in the manner and on the timelines anticipated; the timely provision of services and supplies or other performance of contracts by third parties; future costs; the absence of any material changes in business strategy or plans; the timely receipt of required regulatory approvals and strategic partner support and that the factors described in the Helix Risk Factors will not cause the Company's actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These cautionary statements qualify all such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on the beliefs, assumptions, opinions, plans and expectations of Helix's management on the date of this news release, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement or information should those beliefs, assumptions, opinions, plans or expectations, or other circumstances change, except as required by law.