SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 23, 2013) - [ Vista Partners ] announced today that it has updated coverage on [ Mast Therapeutics Inc. ] (NYSE MKT: [ MSTX ]) ("MSTX"), a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, CA; with a twelve-month price target of $4.50. Ross Silver, Principal Analyst at Vista Partners, stated, "MSTX is nearly three months into patient enrollment in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical study of MST-188 (purified poloxamer 188) in sickle cell disease. According to the Company, more than $1.0 billion is spent annually in the U.S. to treat patients with sickle cell disease. MSTX stated it is now the only company with a new molecular entity in Phase 3 for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The European Commission (EC) [ recently ] designated MST-188 as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a disease with significant unmet needs which has been experiencing unprecedented levels of interest from both strategic partners, acquisition oriented suitors, and financial investors." Mr. Silver concludes, "MSTX also plans to develop MST-188 in complications of arterial disease, initially as an adjunct to thrombolytics in acute limb ischemia (ALI), a complication of peripheral arterial disease. Peripheral arterial disease affects an estimated 8 to 12 million people in the United States."

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