Lugano, Switzerland and San Diego, USA, August 8, 2016 – Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care products, and MEI Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEIP), an oncology company focused on the clinical development of novel therapies for cancer, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive licensing, development and commercialization agreement for Pracinostat, a Phase III-ready drug candidate for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other potential indications. The deal provides the complementary resources from both organizations to rapidly advance Pracinostat into Phase III clinical development and expand into additional indications, including high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).