MediciNova Added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index

LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced that MediciNova will be added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: NBI) effective prior to the market open on Monday, December 21, 2020.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NBI) is designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ) that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical according to the Industry Classification Benchmark. The addition of MediciNova to the NBI is a result of the annual reconstitution of the index.    

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is the benchmark index for the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (exchange-traded fund) (NASDAQ: IBB), which has net assets of $10.2 billion, as well as for other biotechnology-focused ETFs and mutual funds.

Yuichi Iwaki, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, “We are excited that MediciNova has been added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and we believe that our inclusion in this index will raise our profile in the investment community. We consider this milestone to be a substantial accomplishment as it validates our tireless work to create value for the company. We remain focused on our mission to develop promising new therapies for diseases with high unmet medical needs and we continue to manage our expenses efficiently.”

About MediciNova
MediciNova, Inc. is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company founded upon acquiring and developing novel, small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs with a primary commercial focus on the U.S. market. MediciNova's current strategy is to focus on BC-PIV SARS-COV-2 vaccine for COVID-19, MN-166 (ibudilast) for neurological disorders such as progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and substance dependence (e.g., alcohol use disorder, methamphetamine dependence, opioid dependence) and glioblastoma, as well as prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19, and MN-001 (tipelukast) for fibrotic diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). MediciNova’s pipeline also includes MN-221 (bedoradrine) for the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma and MN-029 (denibulin) for solid tumor cancers. MediciNova is engaged in strategic partnering and other potential funding discussions to support further development of its programs. For more information on MediciNova, Inc., please visit www.medicinova.com.