NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Capital IQ (MHFI) announced today that it has commenced Factual Stock Report coverage on Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc.

Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (MTNB), in the development stage as of September 2^nd, 2014, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on identifying and developing novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment of abnormalities in blood lipids, referred to as dyslipidemia, and the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The company's lead product candidate, MAT9001, is a uniquely engineered and proprietary prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid composition, comprised of a complex mixture of omega-3 fatty acids, including docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), a highly potent and less prevalent omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), several other omega-3 fatty acids, and only trace amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is under development for therapeutic applications, with severe hypertriglyceridemia (TG>500 mg/dL) as the lead indication. If it receives FDA approval for treating severe hypertriglyceridemia, Matinas may seek approval for use of MAT9001 in additional indications, including the treatment of patients with mixed dyslipidemia who may already be undergoing treatment with a statin, a commonly used class of cholesterol lowering medication. Mixed dyslipidemia refers to a condition in which patients have a combination of both elevated triglycerides and elevated cholesterol levels.

Matinas has optimized the good manufacturing practice manufacturing process for its complex composition and completed several animal studies. The Company is working toward filing an Investigational New Drug, or IND, application with the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, which is expected in the third quarter of 2014. In addition, the Company is expected to initiate its first human study early in the fourth quarter of 2014, with results expected sometime in the first quarter of 2015. 

Matinas BioPharma has designed the clinical development program for MAT9001 in a manner consistent with established FDA guidance, which the Company believes will result in an accelerated development timeline and an overall development and regulatory pathway which may be lower in risk compared to other typical clinical programs in the cardiovascular field for sever hypertriglyceridemia.  The Company plans to initiate a Phase III trial for MAT9001 for its lead indication during the first half of 2015.

The Company, which just very recently commenced trading on the OTCBB and OTC Pink marketplaces, believes that based upon MAT9001's differing mechanistic features, unique composition and enhanced potency, it will prove to be differentiated from other existing therapies. The Company notes that, unlike currently approved therapies in this product category, many of which were repurposed following clinical failures in their originally intended indications, Matinas has specifically designed and developed MAT9001 for the treatment of high triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, and dyslipidemia.  Triglycerides are fats that are carried in the blood, together with cholesterol, within lipoproteins. High levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and in the case of severe hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis. High levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are due to both genetic and environmental factors and are associated with comorbid conditions such as diabetes, chronic renal failure and nephrotic syndrome.

In addition, the Company's MAT8800 discovery program is seeking to identify and develop product candidates derived from omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of fatty liver diseases (such as steatohepatitis) for which there are currently only limited therapeutic solutions available. Matinas believes that its unique ability to produce and isolate highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids which have demonstrated effects on liver enzyme levels and histology could yield product candidates which are particularly well suited to treat these diseases.

S&P Capital IQ's Factual Stock Report coverage on Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc will also be accessible on an ongoing basis to the investment community by scores of buy-side institutions and sell-side firms that utilize S&P Capital IQ research and information platforms daily. Millions of self-directed investors also have access to the report via their e-brokerage accounts. Please visit http://www.matinasbiopharma.com for additional information.

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