HOUSTON, TX–(November 17, 2016) – Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (NASDAQ: MBRX) (“Moleculin” or the “Company”), a preclinical and clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates, some of which are based on license agreements with The University of Texas System on behalf of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, today announced it has received verbal positive guidance from the FDA regarding its planned IND submission indicating that the Company may incorporate by reference the IND established by a prior developer.

Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO, Walter Klemp, commented, “This new positive guidance removes a major question mark and allows us to create a tighter timeline for the estimated beginning of our next clinical trial. To be clear, we still can’t rule out the possibility of a delay in the timeline, but with the knowledge that the FDA is encouraging us to simply incorporate by reference the prior developer’s IND, we believe we can accelerate our IND submission process. On our current path, we expect to be able to file our IND submission before year end. Barring a negative surprise from the FDA’s review of our submission, that should allow us to begin treating patients in our next clinical trial several months sooner than expected.”

The Company has indicated in previous disclosures that it expected to begin its next clinical trial by the first half of 2017, however this development may reduce that time frame by several months. The Company has submitted a pre-IND briefing document to the FDA along with key questions regarding its clinical development plan and a request for a meeting, if the FDA deems it necessary. The FDA recently indicated in writing that it intends to provide written responses to the Company by December 6, 2016 and that it does not believe a live meeting is necessary. Once those written responses are received, the Company will adjust its final IND submission document accordingly and submit for final FDA review. IND submissions are normally reviewed within 30 days of filing.

The beginning of the Company’s next clinical trial for Annamycin will depend on many things, including but not limited to the absence of any objections by the FDA to the Company’s IND submission, review and approval by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) representing the proposed clinical site or sites, and the ultimate recruitment of patients by qualified clinical testing sites.

Dr. Don Picker, Moleculin’s COO added, “Based on this positive guidance, we have already begun discussions with suitable testing sites so that we can begin recruiting as soon as we have IRB approval. We intend to hit the ground running as soon as the IND is active.”

About Moleculin Biotech, Inc.

Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a preclinical and clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates, some of which are based on discoveries made at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Our lead product candidate is Annamycin, a Phase II clinical stage anthracycline for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, more commonly referred to as AML. We also have two pre-clinical small molecule portfolios, one of which is focused on the modulation of hard-to-target tumor cell signaling mechanisms and the recruitment of the patient’s own immune system. The other portfolio targets the metabolism of tumors.

For more information about Moleculin, please visit http://www.moleculin.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, the results of the FDA’s review of our IND submission, the timing of the FDA’s review of our IND submission and our ability to commence our clinical trial several months earlier than expected, and the approval by an appropriate IRB representing the proposed clinical site or sites and the ultimate recruitment of patients by qualified clinical testing sites. These statements relate to future events, future expectations, plans and prospects. Although Moleculin Biotech believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Moleculin Biotech has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ”believes,” ”estimates,” ”anticipates,” ”expects,” ”plans,” ”projects,” ”intends,” ”potential,” ”may,” ”could,” ”might,” ”will,” ”should,” ”approximately” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Registration Statement on Form S-1 originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 1, 2016, as amended (Registration No. 333-209323). Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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