4D pharma plc (AIM: DDDD), a pharmaceutical company leading the
development of Live Biotherapeutic products (LBPs) - a novel class
of drug derived from the microbiome, today announces the
appointment of John Beck as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and
member of the Company’s management team, bringing over 30 years of
experience in finance, including three previous positions as Chief
Financial Officer of publicly traded life sciences companies.
“John will be an important addition to 4D pharma’s management
team at such a pivotal time, as the company prepares to close our
SPAC merger and begin trading on NASDAQ. His deep experience and
financial expertise as a CFO of several publicly traded life
sciences companies will be critical as we further grow our company
and global footprint,” said Duncan Peyton, Chief Executive Officer
of 4D pharma.
John Beck brings over 30 years of experience in financial and
biopharmaceutical industry management experience. This includes
three previous positions as Chief Financial Officer of publicly
traded life sciences companies where he has achieved considerable
results in areas including finance, business and corporate
development, strategy, and commercialization.
“I look forward to contributing the success of 4D pharma at this
exciting stage in its development. 4D’s pioneering work to develop
promising therapies across a number of disease areas from oncology
to the gut-brain axis is clearly differentiated through its MicroRx
platform and LBP product candidates,” said John Beck, Chief
Financial Officer of 4D pharma. “With several key data readouts
upcoming and our potential listing on NASDAQ, I believe 4D is well
positioned to expand and enhance its investor base and drive
further shareholder value for the remainder of 2021.”
Mr. Beck has extensive investor and public relations, corporate
governance, regulatory, and fundraising expertise. Most recently he
was the Senior Vice President, Finance and CFO of Ritter
Pharmaceuticals from May 2018 to May 2020, where he oversaw its
successful merger with Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to that,
Mr. Beck served as Executive Manager and CEO at Wellspring Water
Technologies, LLC and CEO of West Tech Medical, LLC from October
2015 to May 2018. Mr. Beck also was the CFO and Senior Vice
President of Finance and Operations of Ardea Biosciences from
February 2008 to June 2012, where he raised over $160 million in
public financings, executed a $400 million out-licensing
transaction with Bayer Pharmaceuticals and completed a $1.2 billion
merger with AstraZeneca. Mr. Beck also held positions as Senior
Vice President of Finance, Treasurer and CFO of Metabasis
Therapeutics, and the Director of Finance at Neurocrine
Biosciences, leading both through successful NASDAQ IPOs.
In addition, Mr. Beck currently serves on the Board of Directors
of San Diego-based Artelo Biosciences, as a scientific advisor and
mentor to the University of San Diego’s student-run TRITON fund.
Mr. Beck holds a B.A. in Accounting from the University of
Washington, Seattle, a degree in theology from a Seattle area
seminary and is a licensed CPA (inactive status) in the state of
California.
About 4D pharma
Founded in February 2014, 4D
pharma is a world leader in the development of Live
Biotherapeutics, a novel and emerging class of drugs, defined by
the FDA as biological products that contain a live organism, such
as a bacterium, that is applicable to the prevention, treatment or
cure of a disease. 4D has developed a proprietary platform,
MicroRx®, that rationally identifies Live Biotherapeutics based on
a deep understanding of function and mechanism.
4D pharma's Live
Biotherapeutic products (LBPs) are orally delivered single strains
of bacteria that are naturally found in the healthy human gut. The
Company has six clinical programs, namely a Phase I/II study of
MRx0518 in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in solid
tumors, a Phase I study of MRx0518 in a neoadjuvant setting for
patients with solid tumors, a Phase I study of MRx0518 in patients
with pancreatic cancer, a Phase I/II study of MRx-4DP0004 in asthma
(NCT03851250), a Phase II study of MRx-4DP0004 in patients
hospitalized with COVID-19 (NCT04363372), and Blautix® in Irritable
Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (NCT03721107) which has completed a successful
Phase II trial. Preclinical-stage programs include candidates for
CNS disease such as Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative
conditions. The Company has a research collaboration with MSD, a
tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, to
discover and develop Live Biotherapeutics for vaccines.
In October 2020 4D pharma
announced its intention to merge with Longevity Acquisition
Corporation (NASDAQ: LOAC), a special purpose acquisition company
(SPAC), and seek a NASDAQ listing. The merger is expected to be
completed and the NASDAQ listing of 4D pharma American Depositary
Shares (ADSs) under the ticker symbol 'LBPS' is currently expected
to become effective in early 2021, subject to the satisfaction of
closing conditions, including approval of 4D shareholders and
Longevity shareholders and the approval by Nasdaq of the listing of
ADSs.
For more information, refer
to www.4dpharmaplc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
"forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements
of historical fact contained in this announcement, including
without limitation statements regarding timing of the clinical
trial are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the United States Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words
"believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "intend," "foresee,"
"should," "would," "could," "may," "estimate," "outlook" and
similar expressions, including the negative thereof. The absence of
these words, however, does not mean that the statements are not
forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on the
Company's current expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning
future developments and business conditions and their potential
effect on the Company. While management believes that these
forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there
can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company
will be those that it anticipates.
All of the Company's
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties, some of which are significant or beyond its control,
and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's historical experience and its present
expectations or projections. The foregoing factors and the other
risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business,
including the risks of delays in the commencement of the clinical
trial and those additional risks and uncertainties described the
documents filed by the Company with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”), should be carefully considered. The Company
wishes to caution you not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
any of its forward-looking statements after the date they are made,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except to the extent required by law.
Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find
it
This press release is being
made in respect of a proposed business combination involving 4D and
Longevity. Following the announcement of the proposed business
combination, 4D filed a registration statement on Form F-4 (the
“Registration Statement”) with the SEC which was declared effective
on February 25, 2021. This press release does not constitute an
offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe
for any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval nor
shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Registration
Statement includes a prospectus with respect to 4D’s ordinary
shares and ADSs to be issued in the proposed transaction and a
proxy statement of Longevity in connection with the merger. The
proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to the Longevity
shareholders on or about February 26, 2021. 4D and Longevity also
plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed
transaction.
This press release is not a
substitute for any prospectus, proxy statement or any other
document that 4D or Longevity may file with the SEC in connection
with the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders are
urged to read the Registration Statement and, when they become
available, any other relevant documents that will be filed with the
SEC carefully and in their entirety because they will contain
important information about the proposed transaction.
You may obtain copies of all
documents filed with the SEC regarding this transaction, free of
charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). In addition, investors
and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the
Registration Statement and other documents filed with the SEC
without charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or by calling
+1-800-SEC-0330.
Participants in the Solicitation
Longevity and its directors
and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from Longevity’s
shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information
regarding Longevity’s directors and executive officers is available
in its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
February 29, 2020, filed with the SEC on April 30, 2020. Additional
information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation
relating to the proposed transaction and a description of their
direct and indirect interests is contained in the Registration
Statement.
4D and its directors and
executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Longevity in
connection with the proposed transaction. A list of the names of
such directors and executive officers and information regarding
their interests in the proposed transaction is included in the
Registration Statement.
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4D pharma Investor Relations: ir@4dpharmaplc.com
Stern Investor Relations, Inc. Julie Seidel +1-212-362-1200
Julie.seidel@sternir.com
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7496 3000 Philip Davies / Iqra Amin / James Fischer (Corporate
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