NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- (NYSE: BHVN) -
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN), today
announced the appointment of William "BJ" Jones as Chief Commercial
Officer, Migraine and Common Diseases. Mr. Jones will have
oversight of the commercial development of the company's calcitonin
gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist platform portfolio
and glutamate portfolio in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), obsessive
compulsive disorder (OCD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Mr. Jones will report directly to Vlad
Coric M.D., Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Jones is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with two
decades of commercial and neuroscience expertise in large
pharmaceutical companies and small biotech firms. His commercial
experience includes mass market product launches for notable brands
like Excedrin Migraine®, Farxiga®, Pradaxa®, BiDil®, and Abilify®.
He joins Biohaven from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he
served as Vice President, Sales and Commercial Operations. In the
ten years prior to joining Takeda, he held leadership roles in
marketing, operations and business development at AstraZeneca,
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer-Ingelheim and NitroMed. He
has led large diverse teams and has significant neuroscience
(schizophrenia, bipolar, depression) and migraine experience in
large primary care markets.
Mr. Jones is a graduate of the U.S. Air
Force Academy and attained the rank of Major through his
active duty to reserve service. He has a Master of Business
Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a
Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from
Texas A&M University.
Vlad Coric, M.D., CEO of
Biohaven, stated, "We are enthusiastic to announce the addition of
BJ to our senior leadership team and fortunate to have a leader
with his deep commercial experience at Biohaven. We continue to
expand our commercial talent and expertise as we rapidly progress
the late stage drug candidates in our portfolio towards potential
regulatory approval. BJ's appointment supports our evolution as a
company, allowing us to establish two separate, strong commercial
teams dedicated to harnessing the distinct market opportunities for
the CGRP and Glutamate/myeloperoxidase inhibition (MPO) platform
candidates."
Mr. Jones commented, "I am excited to join Biohaven at this
important time as we look to advance a novel therapy to patients
for the acute treatment of migraine. The prevalence of migraine is
high, affecting roughly 1 out of every 7 Americans with healthcare
and lost productivity costs estimated to be $36 billion annually. Migraine is the third most
common disease in the world, disproportionately impacting women
3:1. Rimegepant Zydis®, with its
proprietary technology, has the potential to be a best-in-class
CGRP receptor antagonist with its rapid and durable treatment
effect."
Also joining Biohaven to help build out the Company's market
access and payer relationships is Mr. Paul
Sbrilli, BPharm. Paul will serve as Vice-President of Market
Access, Reimbursement and Payer Relations at Biohaven
Pharmaceuticals. He joins Biohaven from Biogen where he was Senior
Director of Market Access & Reimbursement. Prior to Biogen,
Paul held leadership positions in managed markets and sales at
Bausch and Lomb, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Wyeth and Lederle
Laboratories.
Biohaven Commercial Focus – From Rare to Common
Diseases
Biohaven is advancing a portfolio of innovative, clinical-stage
product candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative,
neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases, including migraine,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), AD, spinocerebellar
ataxia (SCA), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and other neurological
conditions that currently lack adequate treatment options. With the
possibility of its first commercial launches of Nurtec (ALS) and
rimegepant (migraine) on the horizon, Biohaven is preparing to
transition to a commercial-stage company.
The appointment of BJ Jones follows the recent evolution of
Biohaven's commercial team to provide expert focus on Rare and
Orphan Diseases as well as Migraine and Common Diseases through two
dedicated groups. Under this new structure, John Tilton will continue to lead commercial
strategy as Chief Commercial Officer, Rare and Orphan Diseases,
focusing on our Glutamate and MPO technology platforms in these
disease areas. John was an early commercial leader at Alexion where
he helped to develop the launch strategy in rare disease
indications.
"We continue to be driven with a sense of urgency to fill the
unmet needs of patients with orphan diseases like ALS and SCA that
cause great suffering," said John
Tilton. "We have made so much progress towards our planned
NDA submission of Nurtec, which is anticipated to be our first
approved product, and we believe this option could be
transformational for people living with ALS."
About Nurtec (BHV-0223)
Nurtec (BHV-0223) is a sublingually administered, orally
disintegrating tablet (ODT) form of riluzole that makes use of the
unique Zydis® ODT fast-dissolve technology. It is being developed
under an exclusive worldwide agreement with Catalent. While
riluzole is FDA-approved for ALS, existing formulations consist
only of an oral tablet taken with water or an oral suspension
(thickened liquid). Nurtec is designed to be placed under the
tongue where it dissolves in seconds and is absorbed by the
vasculature, thereby eliminating the need for swallowing.
About Rimegepant
Rimegepant is Biohaven's orally-dosed CGRP receptor antagonist,
which the Company is developing as a treatment for migraine.
Rimegepant represents a novel mechanism that targets the underlying
pathophysiology of migraine without causing vasoconstriction.
Rimegepant has met the primary efficacy endpoints in three
completed Phase 3 trials, with a favorable safety profile. The
co-primary endpoints achieved in the three Phase 3 trials are
consistent with regulatory guidance from the FDA and provide the
basis for a planned submission of an NDA to the FDA in the second
quarter of 2019.
About Biohaven
Biohaven is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a
portfolio of innovative, late-stage product candidates targeting
neurological diseases, including rare disorders. Biohaven has
combined internal development and research with intellectual
property licensed from companies and institutions including
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca AB, Yale University, Catalent, ALS Biopharma LLC and
Massachusetts General Hospital. Currently, Biohaven's lead
development programs include multiple compounds across its CGRP
receptor antagonist, glutamate modulation and myeloperoxidase
inhibition platforms. More information about Biohaven is available
at www.biohavenpharma.com.
About Catalent
Biohaven has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with
Catalent U.K. Swindon Zydis Limited, a subsidiary of Catalent, Inc.
(NYSE: CTLT) ("Catalent") to provide Catalent's
Zydis® ODT (orally disintegrating
tablet) fast-dissolving formulation for the development of
Biohaven's lead calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) antagonist
product candidate, rimegepant. The agreement also provides
exclusive rights for developing small molecule CGRP receptor
antagonists with the Zydis®ODT technology.
Catalent's proprietary Zydis®ODT technology
is a unique, freeze-dried, oral solid dosage form that disperses
almost instantly in the mouth, without the need for water. With
more than 20 products launched in 50 countries and a dispersion
speed of three seconds or less,
Zydis® ODT is the world's fastest and
best-in-class orally dissolving tablet.
Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery
technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and
consumer health products. With over 85 years serving the industry,
Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to
market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable
clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs over
11,000 people, including over 1,800 scientists, at more than 30
facilities across five continents, and in fiscal year 2018
generated approximately $2.5 billion
in annual revenue. Zydis® is a
registered trademark of Catalent. Catalent is headquartered in
Somerset, New Jersey. For more
information, visit www.catalent.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and
uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current
expectations and assumptions of the Company's management. All
statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in
this press release, including statements about the potential
safety, efficacy and attractive mode of administration of the
Company's drug candidates, the ability of the Company to build a
successful commercial infrastructure and ability to transition to a
commercial-stage company and the Company's expected timelines for
submissions to regulatory authorities, are forward-looking
statements. The use of certain words, including "believe,"
"potential" and "will" and similar expressions, is intended to
identify forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually
achieve the plans and objectives disclosed in the forward-looking
statements, and you should not place undue reliance on the
Company's forward-looking statements. Various important factors
could cause actual results or events to differ materially from
those that may be expressed or implied by our forward-looking
statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section
of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2019 and other filings Biohaven
makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to
time. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and
the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
For further information, contact Dr. Vlad Coric, Chief Executive Officer, Biohaven
at Vlad.Coric@biohavenpharma.com
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SOURCE Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.