CRANBURY, N.J., Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage, oncology-focused
pharmaceutical company and an innovator in the field of cancer
metabolism, today announced the hiring of Brian Mullaney, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical
Officer responsible for clinical development of Cornerstone's
platform technology.
"Brian is a highly credentialed clinician scientist with an
outstanding track record in personalized medicine and oncology
clinical development," said Howard
Jonas, Cornerstone's Chairman. "As Cornerstone's Chief
Medical Officer, Dr. Mullaney will guide the clinical development
of our lead compound, CPI-613, as well as the other promising
compounds in our pipeline. Having successfully guided many oncology
drugs through clinical trials, Dr. Mullaney will be pivotal in
helping us advance a robust R&D pipeline of cutting edge drugs
with the potential to considerably improve cancer treatment
practices."
Dr. Mullaney's hiring strengthens Cornerstone's drug development
and commercialization capabilities, while also continuing the
company's recent momentum. On November
10, Cornerstone announced that IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT)
made a $10 million investment in the
company. Cornerstone will be making two presentations of new data
at the American Society of Hematology 2016 Annual Meeting.
"Cornerstone's focus on targeting the metabolic pathways in
cancer cell proliferation and survival holds tremendous promise,
and may revolutionize oncology treatment practices," said Dr.
Mullaney. "I am excited to join Cornerstone at such an important
time in their development. The company's lead compound, CPI-613,
has produced impressive preliminary clinical results in patients
with advanced pancreatic cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and
T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-cell NHL). As we ramp up our
commercialization efforts and prepare to advance CPI-613 into Phase
II clinical trials, we will continue to move forward with our deep
pipeline of innovative compounds that may usher in a new paradigm
in anticancer therapy."
Prior to joining Cornerstone, Dr. Mullaney was the Global Head
of Clinical Affairs for Oncology Precision Medicine at Novartis. He
has more than 20 years of leadership experience in precision
medicine and clinical development including senior positions at Eli
Lilly & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb and Myriad Genetics.
Executive Management
Dr. Mullaney joins Cornerstone's seasoned executive management
team, which includes:
- Chief Scientist -- Robert
Shorr, Ph.D., DIC: 40-year track record in drug
discovery from concept through approval and market launch.
Previously worked at Enzon Pharma, United Therapeutics and
SmithKline Beecham. At Enzon, he was responsible for co-development
of PEG INTRON A with Schering-Plough.
- President and General Counsel -- David A. Polinsky, Esq.: 20-year
track record in corporate formation, financing and corporate
development. Served as VP & General Counsel for Square
Management Co. and Founder & CEO of TheLaw.com.
- Chief Business Officer -- Sanjeev
Luther: 25+ years' experience in healthcare
including specialty pharma and bio-pharma in strategy, business
development, alliances, commercialization and operations.
Previously worked for leading pharmaceutical companies such as
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Bausch and Lomb, GE Healthcare and
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
- Chief Oncologist -- Timothy S. Pardee, M.D., Ph.D.:
Associate professor and the Director of Leukemia Translational
Research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest Baptist
Medical Center. Dr. Pardee heads an NCI-funded research program
focused on the role of cellular metabolism in cancer cell survival
and resistance to therapy as well as novel therapeutics. He has
played a lead role in the development of the novel
metabolism-targeting agent CPI-613.
- VP, Research -- Paul
Bingham, Ph.D.: Molecular biologist and
evolutionary biologist; Associate Professor in the Department of
Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University. Dr.
Bingham was the co-discoverer of the first Altered Energy
Metabolism Directed (AEMD) compounds. He has published numerous
papers, peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters on molecular and
evolutionary biology. In 2008, Dr. Bingham and his colleague, Dr.
Zuzana Zachar, received the
Michael Maffetone Award for Cancer
Research from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research
Fund.
- Research Director -- Akiva
Mintz, M.D., Ph.D.: Physician-scientist with 20
years of experience performing impactful translational cancer
research and early-stage drug development. Dr. Mintz has developed
anticancer therapies that have resulted in over 100 publications,
presentations and patents. He has obtained millions of dollars in
federal and foundation grants to support bringing novel,
early-stage therapeutics to clinic and has extensive experience in
early stage drug development.
About Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held,
clinical-stage, oncology-focused pharmaceutical company committed
to the development and commercialization of therapies that exploit
the metabolic differences between normal cells and cancer cells.
Cornerstone's primary objective is to develop highly selective and
effective agents with minimal toxic effects on normal cells and
tissues. Cornerstone's first-in-class clinical lead compound,
CPI-613 is being evaluated in multiple Phase I, I/II, and II
clinical studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
designated CPI-613 an orphan drug for the treatment of acute
myeloid leukemia (AML), pancreatic cancer and myelodysplastic
syndromes (MDS). The company's investors include IDT Corporation
(NYSE: IDT). For more information, visit:
www.cornerstonepharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements relate to future events or the company's future
financial performance. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "will",
"should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate",
"predict", "potential" or "continue", the negative of such terms,
or other comparable terminology. These statements are only
predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially from
those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various
important factors. Although we believe that the expectations
reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, such
statements should not be regarded as a representation by the
company, or any other person, that such forward looking statements
will be achieved. The business and operations of the company are
subject to substantial risks which increase the uncertainty
inherent in forward-looking statements. We undertake no duty to
update any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of the
foregoing, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
such forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Jacob Jonas
Public Relations, Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
jacob@cornerstonepharma.com
Kara Golub
JFK Communications, Inc.
609-456-0822
kgolub@jfkhealth.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cornerstone-pharmaceuticals-appoints-brian-mullaney-md-phd-as-chief-medical-officer-300369481.html
SOURCE Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.