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Inovio's Phase 3 HPV Immunotherapy Selected As "Best Therapeutic Vaccine" at World Vaccine Congress

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:INO) announced today that VGX-3100, its Phase 3 immunotherapy to treat cervical dysplasia, was recognized as "Best Therapeutic Vaccine" at the World Vaccine Congress held this week in Washington, D.C. The Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards honor outstanding vaccine and immunotherapy advancements and achievements across the worldwide industry as judged by a panel of global biotech industry stakeholders.

Dr. J. Joseph Kim, President and CEO, said, "We greatly appreciate the World Vaccine Congress' recognition of Inovio's breakthrough immunotherapy VGX-3100 that could offer the first non-surgical treatment to patients who are suffering from HPV-related pre-cancers that often progress to cancer. We have reported clinical efficacy in three different HPV clinical indications: in cervical dysplasia with VGX-3100, in metastatic head and neck cancer with MEDI0457 with our partner AstraZeneca, and in a challenging respiratory tumor (RRP) with INO-3106. Inovio continues to establish clinical benefits across all major HPV-related diseases, which represent the largest sexually transmitted disease market. We thank the global vaccine community for recognizing Inovio's growing impact in HPV disease through this prestigious award."

Each year, the ViE award recognizes a therapeutic vaccine that addresses an unmet medical need and holds significant potential for vast geographical and market reach. Inovio was recognized by its industry peers for "Best Therapeutic Vaccine" for its DNA-based immunotherapy, VGX-3100, a first-in-class product for treating high grade cervical, vulvar and anal dysplasia associated with human papillomavirus (HPV).

About the ViE Awards

The World Vaccine Congress & Expo is the largest and most comprehensive event in the industry. Covering everything from the latest R&D to manufacturing to corporate development strategies, the Congress hosts the only awards ceremony dedicated to the vaccine industry. The ViE Awards are given by the industry leaders honor individuals, organizations and initiatives which have made significant contributions over the past 12 months to innovation in the field of vaccines.

About VGX-3100

VGX-3100 is a DNA-based immunotherapy under investigation for the treatment of HPV 16 and HPV 18 infection and pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix (Phase 3) and vulva and anus (Phase 2). VGX-3100 has the potential to be the first approved treatment for HPV infection of the cervix and the first non-surgical treatment for precancerous cervical lesions. VGX-3100 works by stimulating a specific immune response to HPV-16 and HPV-18, which targets the infection and causes destruction of precancerous cells. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study in 167 adult women with histologically documented HPV 16/18 cervical HSIL (CIN2/3), treatment with VGX-3100 resulted in a statistically significantly greater decrease in cervical HSIL and clearance of HPV infection vs. placebo. The most common side effect was injection site pain, and no serious adverse events were reported. VGX-3100 utilizes the patient's own immune system to clear HPV 16 and HPV 18 infection and precancerous lesions without the increased risks associated with surgery, such as loss of reproductive health and negative psychosocial impacts.

About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Inovio is a late-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of DNA-based immunotherapies and vaccines that transform the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease. Inovio's proprietary technology platform applies antigen sequencing and DNA delivery to activate potent immune responses to targeted diseases. The technology functions exclusively in vivo, and has been demonstrated to consistently activate robust and fully functional T cell and antibody responses against targeted cancers and pathogens. Inovio's most advanced clinical program, VGX-3100, is in Phase 3 for the treatment of HPV-related cervical pre-cancer. Also in development are Phase 2 immuno-oncology programs targeting HPV-related cancers, bladder cancer, and glioblastoma, as well as platform development programs in hepatitis B, Zika, Ebola, MERS, and HIV. Partners and collaborators include AstraZeneca, Regeneron, Roche/Genentech, ApolloBio Corporation, The Wistar Institute, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, CEPI, DARPA, GeneOne Life Science, Plumbline Life Sciences, NIH, HIV Vaccines Trial Network, National Cancer Institute, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Drexel University, and Laval University. For more information, visit www.inovio.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop electroporation-based drug and gene delivery technologies and DNA vaccines, our expectations regarding our research and development programs, including the planned initiation and conduct of clinical trials and the availability and timing of data from those trials. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical studies, clinical trials and product development programs, the availability of funding to support continuing research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA vaccines, our ability to support our pipeline of SynCon® active immunotherapy and vaccine products, the ability of our collaborators to attain development and commercial milestones for products we license and product sales that will enable us to receive future payments and royalties, the adequacy of our capital resources, the availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by us or our collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious or cost effective than any therapy or treatment that we and our collaborators hope to develop, issues involving product liability, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide us with meaningful protection from others using the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether we can finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures, assessments of our technology by potential corporate or other partners or collaborators, capital market conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and other regulatory filings we make from time to time. There can be no assurance that any product candidate in our pipeline will be successfully developed, manufactured or commercialized, that final results of clinical trials will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market licensed products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven accurate. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

CONTACTS:                                                                                                                            
Investors: Ben Matone, 484-362-0076, ben.matone@inovio.com 
Media: Jeff Richardson, 267-440-4211, jrichardson@inovio.com

SOURCE Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.