CEL-SCI Announces New Data for Its Rheumatoid Arthritis Vaccine Candidate Published in Peer Reviewed Journal

CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE MKT: CVM) announces the publication of data from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) studies in Vaccine, a leading peer-reviewed journal for researchers interested in vaccines and vaccination. The paper titled “An epitope-specific DerG-PG70 LEAPS vaccine modulates T cell responses and suppresses arthritis progression in two related murine models of rheumatoid arthritis” and is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X17306072.

As described in the article, investigators from Rush University Medical Center evaluated CEL-SCI’s CEL-4000 rheumatoid arthritis vaccine candidate in 2 animal models that resemble the RA disease process in humans better than other animal models. The CEL-4000 (DerG-PG70 LEAPS)treatment vaccine was given to these animals after the onset of RA symptoms.

CEL-4000 inhibited disease progression and demonstrated a shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory environment, as indicated by significant decreases in both RA visual scores and histopathological changes in animals receiving CEL-4000 treatment vaccine. The authors concluded that CEL-4000 exerts its therapeutic effect by interacting with CD4+ cells, which results in an antigen-specific down-modulation of pathogenic CD4+ cell responses through up modulation of CD4+ FoxP3+ Treg cells. Although the precise causes of RA are not known, the disease is thought to be maintained in animals and humans by pro-inflammatory immune responses. The activation of the CD4+ FoxP3+ Tregs (immune regulatory T cells) is therefore believed to be important in the down regulation of the pro-inflammatory processes that otherwise drive this disease.

Dr. Zimmerman, CEL-SCI’s Senior Vice President of Research, Cellular Immunology and the inventor of the technology underlying CEL-4000, stated, “Current treatments for RA focus on the alleviation of symptoms and delaying disease progression. Our vaccination approach attempts to treat RA by impacting the pro-inflammatory immune response so that the body’s joints are no longer attacked by it.”

“Based on these data and results from prior studies, we believe CEL-4000 could be a potentially valuable asset in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and it could be positioned as a first-line treatment to inhibit disease progression in newly diagnosed patients. We are pleased to advance the development of CEL-4000 through the support of the National Institutes of Health and look forward to advancing it into clinical trials in the future,” CEL-SCI CEO Geert Kersten added.

This study was supported in part by funding of a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Arthritis Muscoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study was conducted in collaboration with Drs. Katalin Mikecz and Tibor Glant, and their research team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

About CEL-SCI Corporation

CEL-SCI's work is focused on finding the best way to activate the immune system to fight cancer and infectious diseases. The Company has operations in Vienna, Virginia, and in/near Baltimore, Maryland.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words "intends," "believes," "anticipated," "plans" and "expects," and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that 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's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K and 10-K/A for the year ended September 30, 2016. 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.

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