Lion Biotechnologies Announces First Patient Dosed in Second Cohort of LN-144 Phase 2 Trial for Metastatic Melanoma

SAN CARLOS, CA--(Marketwired - May 19, 2017) - Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LBIO), a biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, today announced that the first patient was dosed in the second cohort of its ongoing Phase 2 trial of LN-144 for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. This cohort utilizes the company's generation 2 manufacturing process which includes cryopreservation of the outbound products.

"We are pleased to be able to offer a shorter manufacturing process for TIL to the melanoma patients enrolling in Cohort 2 of LN-144 trial. This process reduces the time from excision to infusion from approximately six weeks to just over three weeks and includes cryopreservation for the outbound product," said Maria Fardis, PhD, MBA, Lion Biotechnologies President and Chief Executive Officer. "Reducing the time from excision to infusion is critical for treatment of advanced melanoma patients. This process provides greater flexibility for physicians and patients in scheduling the time of the infusion due to the cryopreserved nature of the TIL product. Further, the shorter process increases the manufacturing flexibility for Lion leading to lower production costs."

This Phase 2, multicenter, three-cohort study will assess the safety and efficacy of LN-144 for treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. Cohorts one and two will enroll 20 patients each and cohort three is a re-treatment cohort for a second LN-144 infusion in ten patients. Lion Biotechnologies will be releasing interim data from the first cohort of this study at the upcoming 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting from June 2-6 in Chicago, IL. For additional information on this study please go click on the link below:

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02360579?term=ln-144&rank=1

About Lion Biotechnologies, Inc.

Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of cancer immunotherapy products for the treatment of various cancers. The Company's lead product candidate is an adoptive cell therapy using tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology being investigated for the treatment of patients with refractory metastatic melanoma, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and metastatic cervical carcinoma. For more information, please visit http://www.lionbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the Company's ability to increase its manufacturing capacity and throughput, decrease manufacturing costs and other risks described in the Company's most recently filed quarterly report on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.