Phoenix - Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. ('Ziopharm' or the 'Company') (Nasdaq: ZIOP), today announced the presentation of new interim analyses of clinical data from two ongoing substudies in its Controlled IL-12 platform, or Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex (Ad+V), both as monotherapy and in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor, for the treatment of recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme (rGBM) in adults, at the 2019 Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting in Phoenix.

'Recurrent GBM is a complex disease which grows by walling itself off from the immune system, making it so devastating. It appears that placing IL-12 within the tumor and then controlling the production of this cytokine, drives T cells into the tumor, enabling the immune system to adapt, which leads to anti-tumor activity,' said Laurence Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Ziopharm. 'We are encouraged by the findings presented at SNO, as we advance the clinical development of Controlled IL-12 as a monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including a phase 2 study which is currently enrolling.'

The Company announced in February 2019 the completion of the enrollment in an 'Expansion' substudy (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03679754) that enlarged the phase 1 'Main' trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02026271) by an additional 36 patients with rGBM receiving Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus 20mg/day veledimex for up to 14 days. Results from this substudy were presented yesterday (7:30 pm MST) in a poster presentation titled 'Survival of Subjects with Recurrent Glioblastoma Receiving Intra-tumoral Administration of IL-12 Managed with Low-dose Dexamethasone':

Interim Update Reported

Decrease in tumor from baseline (time of Ad+V administration) resulting in a patient's lesion being too small to measure, assessed as a partial response (per iRANO), with follow up ongoing

Subjects were comparable to the Main study except a higher percentage in the Expansion substudy had multifocal disease vs. unifocal disease and fewer recurrences

Based on study design there was, as expected, a higher percentage of subjects in the Expansion substudy as compared with Main study (75% vs 40%) who received low-dose concurrent steroids

Local, regulated IL-12 production using Ad+V in subjects with rGBM rapidly and safely activates the immune system

Peak serum IL-12 at Day 3 with downstream production of endogenous IFN-peaking at Day 7 in Expansion substudy (and Main study)

MRI findings of pseudoprogression, consistent with immune-mediated anti-tumor effects

20mg V subjects (Main + Expansion, n=20) with unifocal disease at entry, receiving low-dose steroids (defined as

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