LOS ANGELES, Feb. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RTTR) (“Ritter Pharmaceuticals” or the “Company”), a developer of novel therapeutics that modulate the gut microbiome to treat gastrointestinal diseases with an initial focus on establishing the first FDA-approved treatment for lactose intolerance, today announced the appointment of William Chey, M.D., to its Medical Advisory Board.
“We are pleased to have the guidance and support from one of the leading and most respected experts in the field of gastroenterology,” said Andrew J. Ritter, co-founder and president of Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “Dr. Chey has provided us a great deal of input into our Phase 3 protocol design of RP-G28 for the treatment of lactose intolerance and we appreciate his continued involvement as we prepare to begin enrollment into our Phase 3 trial in early summer.”
Dr. Chey is Nostrant Collegiate Professor of Gastroenterology & Nutrition Sciences, Director of the GI Physiology Laboratory, and Co-Director of the Michigan Bowel Control Program at Michigan Medicine. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American College of Gastroenterology, the Board of Directors of the Rome Foundation and a member of the Advisory Board of the International Foundation of Functional GI Disorders. Dr. Chey has authored more than 300 manuscripts, reviews and book chapters, and he was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology from 2010 to 2015. He has been elected to “Best Doctors” since 2001 and “America’s Top Doctors” since 2009. Dr. Chey has been inducted into the Clinical Excellence Society of the Department of Medicine, received the Dean’s Outstanding Clinician Award, was inducted into the League of Research Excellence at the University of Michigan and has received the Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Gastroenterological Association.
“I look forward to working with Ritter Pharmaceuticals as the Company prepares to launch its first pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of RP-G28 for lactose intolerance,” commented Dr. Chey. “Lactose intolerance affects approximately 40 million people in the U.S. with limited treatment options available. I believe an FDA-approved treatment for patients could greatly impact these patients’ lives.”
Ritter Pharmaceuticals’ Medical Advisory Board also includes the following esteemed gastroenterology and lactose intolerance experts:
- Dennis Savaiano, Ph.D., a Professor of Foods & Nutrition and Former Dean at Purdue University;
- William J. Sanborn, M.D., Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Director at the University of California San Diego;
- W. Allan Walker, M.D., the Director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School;
- Byron L. Cryer, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Digestive and Liver Diseases, and Associate Dean at Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern;
- Todd Klaenhammer, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Food Microbiology, Genetics, Genomics at North Carolina State University.
About Ritter Pharmaceuticals
Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.RitterPharma.com, @RitterPharma) develops novel therapeutic products that modulate the gut microbiome to treat gastrointestinal diseases. The Company’s lead product, RP-G28, has the potential to become the first FDA-approved treatment for lactose intolerance, a condition that affects millions worldwide. RP-G28 has been studied in Phase 2 trials and is now in Phase 3 clinical development. 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.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements refer to future plans and expectations, including statements regarding the timing of our first Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial. 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. Factors that could affect the Company’s actual results are included in the Company’s SEC filings, including the Company’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts
Investor Contact:
Jeffrey Benjamin
310-203-1000
jeffrey@ritterpharma.com