ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) for use in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.  Tβ4 is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in RegeneRx's proprietary drug candidate, RGN-259, a first-in-class product candidate designed for topical administration to patients suffering from dry eye syndrome. 

Dry eye syndrome is a multifactorial disease of the eye and its treatment with Tβ4 would represent a major step forward from current treatment options by promoting cell migration and proliferation, reducing inflammation and accelerating corneal epithelial growth.

RegeneRx's second Phase 3 dry eye trial (ARISE-2) is being sponsored by the Company's U.S. joint venture, ReGenTree LLC, and was completed in July 2017 in approximately 600 dry eye patients in an effort to reproduce the clinically significant results seen in ARISE-1.  Patient data are expected to be released by the fourth quarter of 2017.

"This patent is very significant in that it is specifically focused on the use of RGN-259 for the treatment of dry eye syndrome in the U.S., thus, enhancing our proprietary position with respect to this product candidate.  Our team has been working for a number of years to secure this piece of our intellectual property and is pleased to have been notified of the allowance by the USPTO," stated J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx's president and chief executive officer.    

About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.regenerx.com)

RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac and dermal indications, three active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world.

RGN-259, the Company's Tβ4-based ophthalmic drug candidate, has been designated an orphan drug in the U.S. for the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy (NK). In July 2017, RegeneRx, through its U.S joint venture, ReGenTree LLC, completed patient enrollment and treatment in its second Phase 3 clinical trial in approximately ~600 patients with dry eye syndrome.  Top line data is expected to be reported by the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company is simultaneously conducting a 46-patient Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with NK targeted for completion in 2018.  RGN-259 is also being developed in patients with dry eye syndrome in Asia through RegeneRx's two Asian partnerships.  

RGN-352, the Company's Tβ4-based injectable formulation, is a Phase 2-ready drug candidate designed to be administered systemically to prevent and repair cardiac damage resulting from heart attacks and central nervous system tissue damage associated disorders such as peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injuries such as stroke.

RGN-137, also designated an orphan drug in the U.S., is the Company's Tβ4-based dermal gel formulation that is being developed for epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin condition. The Company's licensee, GtreeBNT, is sponsoring a phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S. and is expected to initiate the study in the third quarter of 2017.

For additional information about RegeneRx please visit www.regenerx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that any notices or patents issued by any government patent authority in any country, or licenses held by the Company, or patent applications filed by the Company, including this most recent Notice of Allowance in the United States, or any current or future clinical trials will result in approved products or future value. Please view these and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date.  The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.