Ritter Pharmaceuticals Announces Collaboration with University of Nebraska to Explore Development of Microbiome Therapeutics in Metabolic Syndrome

Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTTR) (“Ritter Pharmaceuticals” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic products that modulate the human gut microbiome to treat gastrointestinal diseases, today announced that it is collaborating with the newly-established Food for Health Center at the University of Nebraska (“NU”) to study the role of the microbiome and RP-G28 in metabolic syndrome.
As part of the collaboration, Dr. Amanda Ramer-Tait at NU and Jens Walter, University of Alberta, two leading scientists in the fields of gut health and microbiome research, plan to conduct research exploring the microbiome’s role in metabolic syndrome. The pre-clinical research is designed to build upon previously published studies suggesting that prebiotics may support improvements in clinical measurements associated with metabolic syndrome. Ritter Pharmaceuticals is providing its lead compound, RP-G28, for use in the study. RP-G28 is currently in a Phase 2b/3 study in humans for the treatment of lactose intolerance. In previous human studies, RP-G28 has demonstrated significant beneficial changes to the gut microbiome that have been associated with supporting metabolic health.
Andrew J. Ritter, Co-founder and President of Ritter Pharmaceuticals, added, “we are pleased to be collaborating on such forward-thinking research that could expand our understanding of the role of the microbiome and RP-G28 in improving clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, we’re excited to explore other indications where RP-G28 may be efficacious.”
Dr. Ramer-Tait, the Harold and Esther Edgerton Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, added, “We are grateful to Ritter Pharmaceuticals for providing RP-G28 so we can study how manipulation of the microbiome may impact metabolic syndrome. There is great potential to take prebiotic-based gut microbiota modulators and explore how they may help improve human health.”
About Ritter Pharmaceuticals
Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.RitterPharma.com) develops novel therapeutic products that modulate the gut microbiome to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Its lead product, RP-G28, has the potential to become the first FDA-approved treatment for lactose intolerance, a condition that affects millions worldwide. The company is further exploring the functionality and discovering the therapeutic potential gut microbiome changes may have on treating/preventing a variety of conditions including: gastrointestinal diseases, immuno-oncology, metabolic, and liver disease.
About the University of Nebraska and the Food for Health Center at the University of Nebraska
The Food for Health Center at the University of Nebraska is a multidisciplinary initiative that unites Nebraska’s strengths in gastrointestinal and biomedical research with production agriculture and plant/animal breeding/genetics. Importantly, NU is focused on establishing a comprehensive research platform to develop: (1) food crops bred for proven health promotion and agronomic traits, (2) foods and food ingredients with predictable, clinically-proven effects on the microbiome and host metabolic and inflammatory characteristics, and (3) prebiotics with predictable, clinically proven effects on gastrointestinal characteristics and/or metabolic and inflammatory characteristics.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to our ability to bring RP-G28 to market. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, such statements involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the drug development process generally, including the outcomes of planned clinical trials and the regulatory review process. For a discussion of certain risks and uncertainties affecting Ritter Pharmaceuticals’ forward-looking statements, please review the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and Ritter Pharmaceuticals does not undertake any responsibility to revise or update any forward-looking statements contained herein, except as expressly required by law.