NEW YORK, June 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BeyondSpring Inc. (BYSI), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies, announced today that it will join the FTSE Russell 3000® Index at the conclusion of the 2019 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the U.S. market opens on July 1, 2019, according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 7, 2019.

Membership in the Russell 3000® Index, which remains in place for one year, means the automatic inclusion of BeyondSpring common stock in index funds designed to track stocks included in the Russell 3000® Index. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.

“Being added to the Russell Index is a significant accomplishment for the Company and validates our growth potential," said Dr. Lan Huang, CEO of BeyondSpring. “We continue to develop a robust pipeline and are advancing our lead first-in-class asset, Plinabulin, a direct anticancer agent in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as in prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN), through global Phase 3 clinical trials.”

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $9 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell's U.S. indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.

About BeyondSpring
BeyondSpring is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative immuno-oncology cancer therapies. BeyondSpring’s lead asset, Plinabulin, is in a Phase 3 global clinical trial as a direct anticancer agent in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and two Phase 3 clinical programs in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN). BeyondSpring has strong R&D capabilities with a robust pipeline in addition to Plinabulin, including three immuno-oncology assets and a drug discovery platform using the ubiquitination degradation pathway. The Company also has a seasoned management team with many years of experience bringing drugs to the global market.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that are not historical facts. Words such as "will," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "design," "may," "future," "estimate," "predict," "objective," "goal," or variations thereof and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on BeyondSpring's current knowledge and its present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors including, but not limited to, difficulties raising the anticipated amount needed to finance the Company's future operations on terms acceptable to the Company, if at all, unexpected results of clinical trials, delays or denial in regulatory approval process, results that do not meet our expectations regarding the potential safety, the ultimate efficacy or clinical utility of our product candidates, increased competition in the market, and other risks described in BeyondSpring’s most recent Form 20-F on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this release and BeyondSpring undertakes no obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as otherwise required by law.

Contact:
Investor Relations:
Stephen Kilmer
646.274.3580
Stephen.kilmer@beyondspringpharma.com

Media Relations:
Caitlin Kasunich / Dave Schemelia
KCSA Strategic Communications
212.896.1241 / 212.896.1242
ckasunich@kcsa.com / dschemelia@kcsa.com