This new country approval is the beginning of a big expansion of CEL-SCI’s Phase III clinical trial to about 20 countries

Vienna, VA -- (SBWire) -- 11/15/2013 --CEL-SCI Corporation announced that it has received approval from the Health Protection Administration, Ministry of Health, of the Croatian Republic to begin enrollment of subjects into the Phase III clinical trial of its investigational cancer immunotherapy treatment Multikine* (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection). Croatia is the ninth country into which CEL-SCI has expanded its global Phase III trial. The trial is expected to be conducted in about 100 clinical centers worldwide. CEL-SCI expects to enroll approximately 40 patients in Croatia through four clinical centers.

CEL-SCI plans to accelerate enrolment in its Phase III clinical trial for Multikine by adding a large number of clinical centers in the eight countries where approval to start the trial was previously received and by adding new countries and centers around the world. These new centers are in addition to the Phase III clinical centers run by CEL-SCI’s partners (Teva, Israel and Orient Europharma, Taiwan).

“We are truly seeing major progress in advancing our study since engaging the two new CROs Ergomed and Aptiv Solutions, following our dismissal of the prior CRO that was managing the study, Inventiv, for lack of performance. Ergomed, which is responsible for about 95% of the patient enrollment in the trial, has invested $10 million of its own funds in the Phase III trial and, since then, has invested another $6 million in two other Multikine collaborations with CEL-SCI. Both CROs understand the potential of our science and share our vision, commitment, and diligence to bring this groundbreaking immunotherapy to market,” stated CEL-SCI CEO Geert Kersten.

On November 5, 2013 CEL-SCI announced that a second interim review of the safety data from its open label, randomized, controlled, pivotal Phase III study of Multikine investigational new drug immunotherapy was completed by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC). The Committee, which is comprised of world class leaders in head and neck cancer, concluded that the data raised no safety concerns, and recommended that the Phase III study continue unmodified.

The Multikine Phase III study is enrolling patients with advanced primary, not yet treated, head and neck cancer. The objective of the study is to demonstrate a statistically significant, 10% improvement in overall survival of enrolled patients who are treated with Multikine plus Standard of Care (SOC) vs. subjects who are treated with SOC only. Multikine is intended to create an anti-tumor immune response to reduce local / regional tumor recurrence and thereby increase the survival of these patients.

CEL-SCI's lead investigational therapy, Multikine, is the first immunotherapeutic agent being developed as a potential first-line treatment for advanced primary head and neck cancer. If it were to be approved by regulatory agencies (e.g. FDA) for use following completion of our clinical development program, Multikine would become an additional and different kind of therapy in the fight against cancer: one that aims to employ our body's natural ability to fight tumors.

On October 31, 2013 CEL-SCI announced that it had initiated an arbitration claim against inVentiv Clinical, LLC (f/k/a PharmaNet, LLC and PharmaNet GmbH (f/k/a PharmaNet AG)). CEL-SCI initially retained inVentiv Clinical to conduct the Phase III clinical trial of Multikine. CEL-SCI terminated inVentiv in or about April 2013 and replaced it with two clinical research organizations, Aptiv Solutions, Inc. and Ergomed Clinical Research Ltd. CEL-SCI’s arbitration claim is initiated under the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association alleging (i) breach of contract, (ii) fraud in the inducement, and (iii) common law fraud, and seeks at least $50 million in damages.

About CEL-SCI Corporation
CEL-SCI is dedicated to research and development directed at improving the treatment of cancer and other diseases by utilizing the immune system, the body's natural defense system. Its lead investigational therapy is Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection), currently being studied in a pivotal global Phase III clinical trial. CEL-SCI is also investigating an immunotherapy (LEAPS-H1N1-DC) as a possible treatment for H1N1 hospitalized patients and as a vaccine (CEL-2000) for Rheumatoid Arthritis (currently in preclinical testing) using its LEAPS technology platform. The investigational immunotherapy LEAPS-H1N1-DC treatment involves non-changing regions of H1N1 Pandemic Flu, Avian Flu (H5N1), and the Spanish Flu, as CEL-SCI scientists are very concerned about the possible emergence of a new more virulent hybrid virus through the combination of H1N1 and Avian Flu, or maybe Spanish Flu. The Company has operations in Vienna, Virginia, and in/near Baltimore, Maryland.

For more information, please visit http://www.cel-sci.com.

* Multikine is the trademark that CEL-SCI has registered for this investigational therapy, and this proprietary name is subject to FDA review in connection with our future anticipated regulatory submission for approval. Multikine has not been licensed or approved for sale, barter or exchange by the FDA or any other regulatory agency. Similarly, its safety or efficacy has not been established for any use. Moreover, no definitive conclusions can be drawn from the early-phase, clinical-trials data involving the investigational therapy Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection). Further research is required, and early-phase clinical trial results must be confirmed in the well-controlled, Phase III clinical trial of this investigational therapy that is currently in progress.

When used in this press release, the words "intends," "believes," "anticipated" and "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, an inability to duplicate the clinical results demonstrated in clinical studies, timely development of any potential products that can be shown to be safe and effective, receiving necessary regulatory approvals, difficulties in manufacturing any of the Company's potential products, inability to raise the necessary capital and the risk factors set forth from time to time in CEL-SCI Corporation's SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2012. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.