SAN DIEGO, March 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBIO), an AI-driven innovator developing therapies for cardiometabolic, obesity and cardiopulmonary diseases, today announced the Company will host a conference call on Tuesday, March 17, at 4 p.m. ET. The conference call will address iBio's strategic pipeline expansion into pulmonary hypertension associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF) and will include a presentation from Martin Brenner, DVM, Ph.D., iBio's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, and Cory Schwartz, Ph.D., the Company's Director of Research and Early Development.

iBio is engineering a selective bispecific antibody designed to block Activin A, GDF8 (myostatin), and GDF11 to reduce cardiac fibrosis, reverse pulmonary vascular remodeling, and improve whole‑body functional capacity, while avoiding safety issues linked to broader TGF‑β ligand blockade. iBio's bispecific approach is intentionally designed to target multiple core drivers of PH-HFpEF biology simultaneously, a gap among currently approved PH-HFpEF therapies. iBio expects to declare the optimized bispecific antibody development candidate for PH-HFpEF (validated for potency, selectivity, manufacturability, and in vivo efficacy) in the third quarter of calendar 2026 before entering IND‑enabling activities.

"Targeting PH-HFpEF represents an important step for our company and reflects conviction in our platform, program, and understanding of the biology," said Martin Brenner, DVM, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of iBio. "We believe our antibody approach has the potential to address key drivers of disease biology in an area where patients continue to face substantial unmet need. HFpEF affects millions worldwide, and our long-term vision is to build a family of therapies targeting core cardiometabolic pathways across the spectrum of cardiometabolic disease."

Conference Call Details:

The webcast of the call may be accessed on the Investors section of the iBio website at ir.ibioinc.com/news-events/ir-calendar. A replay of the webcast will be available on the iBio website following the presentation.

To join the live call, participants need to access this link for dial-in numbers and a unique participation code.

About Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome in which the heart continues to pump with a preserved ejection fraction but becomes impaired in its ability to relax and fill properly. HFpEF accounts for approximately half of all heart failure cases and is closely associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and aging. Pulmonary hypertension associated with HFpEF (PH-HFpEF) is a clinically severe subtype linked to pulmonary vascular remodeling, reduced functional capacity, and poor prognosis. While current therapies have benefited many patients, there remains a significant unmet need for treatments that more directly modify the underlying drivers of disease.

About Myostatin x Activin A Bispecific

iBio's bispecific antibody program targets three closely related ligands—myostatin (GDF8), GDF11, and Activin A, that sit at the intersection of skeletal muscle health, metabolic function, cardiac fibrosis, and vascular remodeling. Because these pathways can drive disease in both obesity/weight‑loss–related dysfunction and PH-HFpEF, iBio believes that the same selective mechanism of action may address both areas.

About iBio, Inc.

iBio (Nasdaq: IBIO) is a cutting-edge biotech company leveraging AI and advanced computational biology to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals for cardiometabolic and cardiopulmonary diseases, obesity, cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases. By combining proprietary 3D modeling with innovative drug discovery platforms, iBio is creating a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs. iBio's mission is to transform drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, and unlock new possibilities in precision medicine. For more information, visit www.ibioinc.com or follow iBio on LinkedIn.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding iBio engineering a selective bispecific antibody designed to block Activin A, GDF8 (myostatin), and GDF11 to reduce cardiac fibrosis, reverse pulmonary vascular remodeling, and improve whole‑body functional capacity, while avoiding safety issues linked to broader TGF‑β ligand blockade; iBio's bispecific approach to intentionally design to target multiple core drivers of PH-HFpEF biology simultaneously, a gap among currently approved HFpEF therapies; iBio declaring the optimized bispecific antibody development candidate for HFpEF—validated for potency, selectivity, manufacturability, and in vivo efficacy—in the third quarter of calendar 2026 before entering IND‑enabling activities; iBio targeting PH-HFpEF reflects conviction in our platform, program, and understanding of the biology; iBio's antibody approach having the potential to address key drivers of disease biology in an area where patients continue to face substantial unmet need; iBio's long-term vision to build a family of therapies targeting core cardiometabolic pathways across the spectrum of cardiometabolic disease; IBIO-610's potential as a differentiated therapy in obesity, cardiometabolic and cardiopulmonary diseases; filing an IND equivalent in the first half of calendar 2027; iBio's ability to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals for cardiometabolic, obesity and cardiopulmonary diseases, cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases; iBio's ability to create a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs; and iBio's ability to transform drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, and unlock new possibilities in precision medicine. While iBio believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to iBio on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, iBio's ability to enter into IND‑enabling activities; iBio's ability to develop a family of therapies targeting key cardiometabolic pathways that are able to address the full spectrum of cardiometabolic conditions, and that can support improving the lives of a rapidly growing patient population; the MoA being able to target the root cause of the disease rather than its symptoms; the same selective MoA addressing both obesity/weight‑loss–related dysfunction and HFpEF; filing an IND equivalent in the first half of calendar 2027; iBio's ability to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals for cardiometabolic, obesity and cardiopulmonary diseases, cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases; iBio's ability to create a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs; and iBio's ability to transform drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, and unlock new possibilities in precision medicine; iBio's ability to obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization of its product candidates, or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements; regulatory limitations relating to iBio's ability to promote or commercialize its product candidates for specific indications; acceptance of iBio's product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of products; and whether iBio will incur unforeseen expenses or liabilities or other market factors; and the other factors discussed in iBio's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2025 and its subsequent filings with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and iBio undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:

iBio, Inc.

Investor Relations

ir@ibioinc.com

Ignacio Guerrero-Ros, Ph.D., or David Schull

Russo Partners, LLC

Ignacio.guerrero-ros@russopartnersllc.com

David.schull@russopartnersllc.com

(858) 717-2310 or (646) 942-5604

iBio to Provide an Update on Cardiopulmonary Program Targeting Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (PH-HFpEF)