Merrimack Declares $140M Special Dividend in Connection with Recently Completed Asset Sale

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACK) today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized and declared a special cash dividend of $140 million on the company's common stock. This special dividend will be paid from the proceeds of the company's asset sale to Ipsen S.A., which was completed on April 3, 2017.

The special dividend is payable on May 26, 2017 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 17, 2017. The ex-dividend date for the special dividend will be May 30, 2017, the first trading day following the payment date. Stockholders of record on the record date who sell their shares prior to the ex-dividend date will not receive the special dividend. Based on the current number of shares outstanding, the special dividend will be approximately $1.06 per common share; this amount may vary based on the number of outstanding shares as of the record date.

The tax treatment of holding common stock to any particular stockholder will depend on the stockholder's particular tax circumstances. Merrimack stockholders are urged to consult their tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income and other tax consequences to them, in light of their particular investment or tax circumstances, of the receipt of the special dividend.

About Merrimack
Merrimack is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that is outthinking cancer to ensure that patients and their families live fulfilling lives. Our mission is to transform cancer care through the smart design and development of targeted solutions based on the deep understanding of cancer pathways and biological markers. All our product candidates, including three in clinical studies and several others in preclinical development, fit into our strategy of 1) understanding the biological problems we are trying to solve, 2) designing specific solutions and 3) developing those solutions for biomarker-selected patients. This three-pronged strategy seeks to ensure optimal patient outcomes. For more information, please visit Merrimack's website at www.merrimack.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements of Merrimack that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements can be identified by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," and similar expressions. Merrimack's forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about the proposed special dividend; potential milestone payments; and the payment of future dividends. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this release due to a number of risks and uncertainties.  Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, whether Merrimack receives payments related to the milestone events under its contract with Shire, when expected or at all, under the asset purchase agreement; risks related to whether Merrimack's expenses are as predicted; whether Merrimack is able to satisfy the necessary legal tests required to make the anticipated dividend; negative effects of the consummation of the transaction on the market price of Merrimack's common stock; unknown liabilities; other business effects, including the effects of industry, market, economic, political, or regulatory conditions; and those risk factors discussed in Merrimack's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2017, the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2017, and its other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this release represent Merrimack's views as of the date of this release. Merrimack anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it has no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing Merrimack's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.

Contact:

Geoffrey Grande, CFA
617-441-7602
ggrande@merrimack.com

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SOURCE Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.