SAN DIEGO, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mast
Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MSTX), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company leveraging its molecular adhesion and
sealant technology (MAST) platform to develop novel therapies for
sickle cell disease, heart failure, and stroke, today announced
that Matthew Pauls has been
appointed to the Company's Board of Directors, effective
immediately.
Mr. Pauls brings more than 20 years of experience in the
pharmaceutical industry, including senior leadership roles in a
broad spectrum of operational areas and significant experience in
new product launches, commercial and technical operations, as well
as clinical development, with a specific focus on orphan drug
candidates.
"We are delighted to have an executive of Matt's caliber join
our Board, particularly as we near the completion of our Phase 3
'EPIC' study and begin to orient toward product commercialization,"
stated Brian M. Culley, Chief
Executive Officer. "Matt's extensive experience and success
in commercial strategy and operations, including with therapies for
rare diseases, will be a significant asset for Mast."
Mr. Pauls currently serves as President and Chief Executive
Officer and on the board of directors of Strongbridge Biopharma plc
(NASDAQ: SBBP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies
that target rare diseases. Prior to joining Strongbridge, Mr. Pauls
was Chief Commercial Officer of Insmed, Inc., a global
biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases. Prior to
Insmed, Mr. Pauls served as senior vice president, head of global
commercial operations at Shire Pharmaceuticals, a global specialty
biopharmaceutical company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pauls also
held senior positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Brand Management
and Payor Marketing, and at Johnson & Johnson in various U.S.
and global commercial roles. Mr. Pauls holds B.S. and M.B.A.
degrees from Central Michigan
University and a J.D. from Michigan
State University College of Law.
"I am pleased to join Mast Therapeutics' Board of Directors at
such an exciting time in the Company's development. I look forward
to contributing my experience and helping to further Mast's efforts
to deliver new therapeutic options for serious and life-threatening
diseases with significant unmet needs, such as sickle cell disease,
heart failure and stroke," said Mr. Pauls.
About Mast Therapeutics
Mast Therapeutics, Inc. is a
publicly traded biopharmaceutical company headquartered in
San Diego, California. The
Company is leveraging its MAST platform, derived from over two
decades of clinical, nonclinical and manufacturing experience with
purified and non-purified poloxamers, to develop vepoloxamer (also
known as MST-188), its lead product candidate, for serious or
life-threatening diseases and conditions typically characterized by
impaired microvascular blood flow and damaged cell membranes. The
Company is also developing AIR001, a sodium nitrite solution for
inhalation via nebulizer, for the treatment of heart failure with
preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Vepoloxamer is an investigational new drug being tested in a
pivotal Phase 3 study called EPIC for the treatment of
vaso-occlusive crisis in patients with sickle cell disease and in a
Phase 2 study for the treatment of patients with chronic heart
failure. AIR001 is an investigational new drug being tested
in two institution-sponsored Phase 2a studies in patients with
HFpEF. More information can be found on the Company's web site at
www.masttherapeutics.com. (Twitter: @MastThera)
Mast Therapeutics™ and the corporate logo are trademarks of Mast
Therapeutics, Inc.
Forward Looking Statements
Mast Therapeutics cautions
you that statements included in this press release that are not a
description of historical facts are forward-looking statements that
are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions.
Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited
to, statements relating to prospects for successful development and
commercialization of, the Company's investigational drugs,
vepoloxamer and AIR001, and anticipated timing of achievement of
development milestones, such as commencement and completion of
clinical studies or regulatory activities, and of announcement of
study data. Among the factors that could cause or contribute
to material differences between the Company's actual results and
the expectations indicated by the forward-looking statements are
risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to: the
uncertainty of outcomes in ongoing and future studies of the
Company's product candidates and the risk that its product
candidates, including vepoloxamer, may not demonstrate adequate
safety, efficacy or tolerability in one or more such studies,
including EPIC and the Phase 2 study of vepoloxamer in chronic
heart failure; delays in the commencement or completion of clinical
studies, including as a result of difficulties in obtaining
regulatory agency agreement on clinical development plans or
clinical study design, opening trial sites, enrolling study
subjects, manufacturing sufficient quantities of clinical trial
material, being subject to a "clinical hold," and/or suspension or
termination of a clinical study, including due to patient safety
concerns or lack of funding; the risk that, even if planned
clinical studies are successful, the FDA or other regulatory
agencies may determine they are not sufficient to support a new
drug application; the potential that, even if clinical studies of a
product candidate in one indication are successful, clinical
studies in another indication may not be successful; the potential
for additional nonclinical or clinical studies to be required prior
to initiation of a planned clinical study; the Company's reliance
on contract research organizations (CROs), contract manufacturing
organizations (CMOs), and other third parties to assist in the
conduct of important aspects of development of its product
candidates, including clinical studies, manufacturing, and
regulatory activities for its product candidates, and that such
third parties may fail to perform as expected; the risk that the
Company may be required to repay its outstanding debt obligations
at a time that could be detrimental to its financial condition,
operations and/or business strategy; the Company's ability to
obtain additional funding on a timely basis or on acceptable terms,
or at all; the potential for the Company to delay, reduce or
discontinue current and/or planned development activities,
including clinical studies, partner its product candidates at
inopportune times or pursue less expensive but higher-risk and/or
lower return development paths if it is unable to raise sufficient
additional capital as needed; the risk that, even if the Company
successfully develops a product candidate in one or more
indications, it may not realize commercial success and may never
achieve profitability; the risk that the Company is not able to
adequately protect its intellectual property rights, through
patents or otherwise, and prevent competitors from duplicating or
developing equivalent versions of its product candidates or that
the use or manufacture of its products or product candidates
infringe the proprietary rights of others; and other risks and
uncertainties more fully described in the Company's press releases
and periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission are available at www.sec.gov.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date when made. Mast
Therapeutics does not intend to revise or update any
forward-looking statement set forth in this press release to
reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof,
except as may be required by law.
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SOURCE Mast Therapeutics, Inc.