Transaction expected to close on or about June 30, 2017

LAVAL, QC, June 19, 2017 /CNW/ - BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX: BLU) (BELLUS Health or the Company), a biopharmaceutical development company advancing novel therapeutics for conditions with high unmet medical need, today announced the sale of its equity interest in FB Health S.p.A. (FB Health). BELLUS Health acquired its interest in FB Health in 2013 when the Company granted FB Health a license for BLU-8499, a drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

FB Health shareholders entered into a share purchase agreement with NuPharm Italy S.p.A. (NPI), pursuant to which NPI will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of FB Health. NPI / FB Health will be new members of the Invent Farma (Spain) / neuraxpharm (Germany) Group.

For its share, BELLUS Health will receive a potential total consideration of approximately CA$2.5 million, consisting of an upfront payment of CA$1.7 million at closing and a potential revenue-based milestone payment of up to CA$0.8 million, which will be determined one year after the closing of the transaction.

"In addition to supporting the development of BLU-5937, our lead drug candidate for the treatment of chronic cough, the non-dilutive proceeds from this transaction are expected to extend our cash runway to the first quarter of 2019," said Roberto Bellini, President and Chief Executive Officer of BELLUS Health.

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur on or about June 30, 2017; however, there can be no assurances that closing will occur within that timeframe or at all.

About FB Health (www.fb-health.com)

FB Health is an Italy-based specialty pharma company focused on neurology and psychiatry that distributes more than ten nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products in Italy.

About BELLUS Health (www.bellushealth.com)

BELLUS Health is a biopharmaceutical development company advancing novel therapeutics for conditions with high unmet medical need. Its pipeline of projects includes BLU-5937 for chronic cough and several other partnered clinical-stage drug development programs.

About Invent Farma / neuraxpharm Group (www.invent-farma.es and www.neuraxpharm.de)

Created in August 2016, following the acquisition by funds advised by Apax Partners, the Group Invent Farma / neuraxpharm is a leader in generic pharmaceutical products for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). The Group is the combination of the Barcelona-based Invent Farma with Düsseldorf-based neuraxpharm. Invent Farma has 50 years' experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products, while neuraxpharm is a leading CNS brand that has earned the trust of specialist doctors, pharmacists and patients in over three decades.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, other than statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date hereof, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and regulations. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management, inherently involve numerous important risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known and unknown, many of which are beyond BELLUS Health Inc.'s control. Such risks factors include but are not limited to: the ability to expand and develop its project pipeline, the ability to obtain financing, the impact of general economic conditions, general conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which BELLUS Health Inc. does business, stock market volatility, fluctuations in costs, changes to the competitive environment due to consolidation, achievement of forecasted burn rate, potential payments/outcomes in relation to indemnity agreements and contingent value rights, achievement of forecasted pre-clinical and clinical trial milestones and that actual results may vary once the final and quality-controlled verification of data and analyses has been completed. In addition, the length of BELLUS Health Inc.'s drug candidates development process, their market size and commercial value, as well as the sharing of proceeds between BELLUS Health Inc. and its potential partners from potential future revenues, if any, are dependent upon a number of factors. Consequently, actual future results and events may differ materially from the anticipated results and events expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company believes that expectations represented by forward-looking statements are reasonable, yet there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The reader should not place undue reliance, if any, on any forward-looking statements included in this news release. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and BELLUS Health Inc. is under no obligation and disavows any intention to update publicly or revise such statements as a result of any new information, future event, circumstances or otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. Please see BELLUS Health Inc.'s public filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Annual Information Form, for further risk factors that might affect BELLUS Health Inc. and its business.

SOURCE BELLUS Health Inc.

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