WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NERV), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies to treat unmet medical needs of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced that it will host a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) breakfast to discuss the importance of improving avolition in the successful treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia on Friday, March 6, 2020 in New York.

The event will be hosted by Dr. Remy Luthringer, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Minerva, and will feature a brief presentation and moderated discussion with Philip Harvey, PhD, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Greg Strauss, PhD, from the Georgia Psychiatric Risk Evaluation Program. They will discuss Dr. Strausss paper on the central role of avolition, defined as reductions in the desire for and initiation of motivated behavior, in treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia that was published recently in Schizophrenia Bulletin. A Q&A session will be held at the conclusion of the event.

Dr. Strauss will discuss his findings in the context of data from the Phase 2b study of Minervas lead product candidate, Roluperidone (MIN-101), a novel 5-HT2A and receptor antagonist. Roluperidone is currently in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Greg Strauss, PhD directs the Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory and Georgia Psychiatric Risk Evaluation Program (G-PREP). He has authored over 120 publications, and his research has been recognized by several awards, such as the Early Career Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Early Career Award from the American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology, Wechsler Early Career Award for Innovative Research on Cognition from the American Psychological Foundation, and Young Investigator Awards from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research and the Schizophrenia International Research Society. He has received over $15M in grants as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator from the NIMH, NARSAD, VA MIRECC, APF, NSF and G-PREP. He serves on the editorial boards of Schizophrenia Bulletin, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychological Science, and Schizophrenia Research: Cognition.

Philip D. Harvey, PhD is Leonard M. Miller Professor of Psychiatry and director of the Division of Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a VA Senior Health Scientist. Dr. Harveys research has focused on cognition and functioning, and he has written extensively on aging in schizophrenia, negative symptoms in schizophrenia, functional impairments in severe mental illness, the cognitive effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics, and the effects of cognitive enhancing agents and cognitive training in various conditions. He is the author of over 1,000 scientific papers and abstracts, and he has written over 60 book chapters. Dr. Harvey is a widely cited author who was repeatedly designated by Thompson-Reuters as being in the top 1% of all researchers in citations in mental health each year since 2010. He has received numerous awards for his research in schizophrenia.

This event is intended for institutional investors, sell-side analysts, investment bankers, and business development professionals only. Please RSVP in advance if you plan to attend, as space is limited. Members of the media and the public are invited to participate via the live webcast.

About Minerva Neurosciences

Minervas proprietary compounds include: roluperidone (MIN-101), in clinical development for schizophrenia; seltorexant (MIN-202 or JNJ-42847922), in clinical development for insomnia and MDD; and MIN-301, in pre-clinical development for Parkinsons disease. Minervas common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol NERV. For more information, please visit http://www.minervaneurosciences.com.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, reflect managements expectations as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the timing and scope of future clinical trials and results of clinical trials with roluperidone (MIN-101); the clinical and therapeutic potential of this compound; the timing and outcomes of future interactions with U.S. and foreign regulatory bodies; our ability to successfully develop and commercialize our therapeutic products; the sufficiency of our current cash position to fund our operations; and managements ability to successfully achieve its goals. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors including, without limitation, whether roluperidone will advance further in the clinical trials process and whether and when, if at all, it will receive final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies and for which indications; whether any of our therapeutic products will be successfully marketed if approved; whether any of our therapeutic product discovery and development efforts will be successful; managements ability to successfully achieve its goals; our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations on terms acceptable to us; and general economic conditions. These and other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed under the caption Risk Factors in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2019, filed with theSecurities and Exchange Commission on November 4, 2019. Copies of reports filed with theSECare posted on our website at http://www.minervaneurosciences.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contact:

William B. BoniVP, Investor Relations/Corp. CommunicationsMinerva Neurosciences, Inc.(617) 600-7376

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Minerva Neurosciences to Host Key Opinion Leader Meeting on Avolition, the Most Central Domain for the Successful Treatment of Negative Symptoms in...