Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLMD) ("Galmed" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company for liver, metabolic and fibrotic diseases announced today the allowance of a Japanese patent related to treatment of pulmonary and dermal fibrosis. A similar patent was already granted in Mexico. The approval of the patent in the US and the rest of the world is pending. With this latest patent, Galmed is strengthening and extending the patent protection of its lead compound, Aramchol, until November 2037.

Previously, Galmed reported results showing significant anti-fibrotic effects of Aramchol in a pre-clinical model of lung fibrosis. Treatment with Aramchol resulted in statistically significant fibrosis improvement in a validated bleomycin model of lung fibrosis (IPF), comparable to Pirfenidone which is the gold standard treatment. Findings were seen across all important indicators for the severity of fibrosis including hydroxyproline (a marker for collagen deposition in the fibrotic tissue) P< 0.05, Ashcroft score P < 0.005, % CPA (Percentage Collagen Proportionate Area of the lung) P < 0.001, and immunohistochemistry (type I collagen and a SMA) P < 0.005 for both staining.

Allen Baharaff, CEO and President of Galmed Pharmaceuticals, commented: "Fibrosis is a common complication of chronic inflammation and can affect all organs and tissues. To date, only limited anti-fibrotic drugs are approved or are in development, most of which have restricting side effects. These patents reinforce the value of Aramchol Meglumine as a potential treatment for a wide range of unaddressed fibrotic indications beyond our initial focus of the liver and bile duct."

About Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe, chronic, progressive, fibrotic interstitial disease of unknown etiology, which remains an unmet need despite approved treatments which are limited by side effects. Bleomycin, an anti-neoplastic agent that causes lung fibrosis in human patients, has been used extensively in rodent models to mimic IPF and serves as the standard agent for induction of experimental pulmonary fibrosis in animals. Bleomycin reproduces typical features of the human disease.