BioPharmX Collaborates with Wellman Center for Photomedicine to Develop Pioneering, Cost-Effective Technique to Visualize Drug Delivery

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioPharmX Corporation (NYSE MKT: BPMX) researchers were part of a national scientific team that developed an innovative way to use nonlinear optical imaging to confirm the efficiency and quantity of the delivery of new drugs.

A presentation at the 2017 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference will show how researchers from BioPharmX and the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School used a suite of imaging techniques in what is called "Pharmacokinetic Tomography" to confirm highly localized delivery of BPX-01, BioPharmX's unique topical, hydrophilic gel formulation of minocycline for the treatment of acne vulgaris, to the area of the skin where acne develops.

This is the first time this imaging approach was used to confirm substantial minocycline uptake in the epidermis and hair follicle, as well as in the sebaceous gland 24 hours after a single dose application.  A poster presentation, entitled "Visualization of Cutaneous Distribution of Minocycline of a Topical Gel in Human Facial Skin with Two-Photon Excited Fluorecence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) and Phasor Analysis," will also be on display at the Fall Clinical conference in Las VegasOct. 12-15.

The technique is a break with traditional drug development imaging processes that are costly and inefficient.  The nonlinear optical imaging technique developed by this team enables the use of the natural fluorescence of the drug when "excited" with ultrashort (femtosecond) laser pulses. Drug developers traditionally rely on older technologies, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy (MALDI), which tend to be slow and costly.  This technique has allowed BioPharmX to capitalize its efforts in translational research, enabling it to take BPX-01 into clinic much more rapidly.

"We are excited to be applying these imaging tools in the study of pharmacokinetics," said Conor L. Evans, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School's Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "They enable the visualization of drug delivery and distribution, and potentially permit the quantification of local drug concentration with subcellular resolution. Knowing the delivery kinetics and local concentrations of drugs may allow better understanding of toxicity and efficacy of drugs, making these imaging methods powerful tools for translational research."

In addition, BioPharmX will be presenting a second poster entitled, "Rapid Improvement with BPX-01 Minocycline Topical Gel in the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Study," showing that BPX-01 2% minocycline gel resulted in "rapid improvements and better outcomes than vehicle control in treatments of moderate-to-severe non-nodular inflammatory acne."

"In combination, these studies suggest that BPX-01 effectively delivers low dosages of minocycline precisely to areas of the skin where acne forms and that the topical gel may prove to be an efficient option for reducing the number of inflammatory lesions," said Dr. Neal Bhatia, a San Diego board-certified dermatologist and Director of Clinical Dermatology at Therapeutics Clinical Research, and member of the BioPharmX Therapeutic Dermatology Advisory Board.

The Fall Clinical conference is one of the dermatological community's leading educational events, attracting more than 800 physicians and scientists from across the nation.

Several BioPharmX Advisory Board members will serve as faculty at the meeting along with Dr. Bhatia: Dr. James Q. Del Rosso, who is also co-director of the conference and Dr. Julie C. Harper, an Alabama dermatologist and a founding director of the American Acne and Rosacea Society.

About BPX-01
BPX-01¹ is a hydrophilic (non-oil-based) topical gel with fully solubilized minocycline that has been shown to penetrate the skin to deliver the antibiotic to its target. Following positive results from its previously announced phase 2b study of BPX-01 in acne, BioPharmX continues with phase 3 clinical study plans for BPX-01 for the treatment of acne.

About BioPharmX^® Corporation
BioPharmX Corporation (NYSE MKT: BPMX) is a Silicon Valley-based specialty pharmaceutical company, which seeks to provide products through proprietary platform technologies for prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and supplement applications in the health and wellness markets, including dermatology and women's health. To learn more about BioPharmX, visit www.BioPharmX.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. This press release contains forward-looking statements about the company's expectations, plans, intentions, and strategies, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the safety and medical effects of BPX-01, the effect BPX-01 may have on the treatment of acne, the commencement and results of future trials of BPX-01 and the size of such trials, continued and consistent results in future tests of BPX-01 and absence of side effects of future use of BPX-01. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "believe" or similar expressions that are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, which, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include those described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended Jan. 31, 2017. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

BioPharmX is a registered trademark of BioPharmX, Inc.

¹ Caution: BPX-01 is a new drug limited by U.S. law to investigational use.

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