SAN DIEGO, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Therapeutics,
Inc. ("Viking") (NASDAQ: VKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic
and endocrine disorders, today announced several senior level
appointments designed to strengthen the company's leadership as it
continues to advance its pipeline of clinical and preclinical
development programs. The company has appointed Amy Broidrick as Senior Vice President of
Corporate Development, Greg Zante as Vice President of Finance and
Operations, and Catherine (Cass) Lee
Kelleher, M.D., as Vice President of Clinical
Development. Collectively, these individuals bring Viking
significant industry experience in areas directly related to the
company's ongoing programs in the fields of metabolic and endocrine
disorders.
"We are fortunate to add three individuals with the industry
skills and experience of Amy, Greg and Cass. With two key
Phase 2 clinical trials scheduled to read-out in 2017,
strengthening our team will best position us to successfully
navigate this important time in the company's evolution," said
Brian Lian, Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer of Viking Therapeutics. "Amy, Greg and Cass each
bring unique and valuable skill sets to Viking and will serve to
further enhance our management team. We are excited to welcome them
and look forward to the important contributions they will make to
the company's ongoing success."
Ms. Broidrick brings 22 years of pharmaceutical industry
experience to her new role, where she will lead business
development and partnering efforts at Viking. Before joining
Viking, she served as Vice President and Head of Global Marketing
Excellence and Business Innovation at EMD Serono, Inc, part of
Merck KGaA (Germany). Prior
to her position at EMD Serono, Ms. Broidrick was Vice President and
Head of Marketing and Commercialization at Arena
Pharmaceuticals. She has also held roles of increasing
responsibility at Merck & Co. and Pfizer (formerly GD
Searle). Ms. Broidrick is a seasoned industry executive
credited with launching and exceeding profit targets for
blockbuster brands including Celebrex® in the United States and Zetia® and
VYTORIN® across Europe,
the Middle East and Africa.
Mr. Zante joins Viking with more than 20 years of accounting and
financial experience at public and private companies in the
biotechnology and accounting industries. In his new role, he
will be responsible for forecasting, scenario analyses, financing
strategies, business development support and operational
activities. Prior to Viking, Mr. Zante was Chief Financial
Officer at Dance Biopharm, a diabetes-focused biopharmaceutical
company, where he managed the company's private financing strategy
and positioned it for initial public offering activities. Mr.
Zante has also previously held senior positions at several
biopharmaceutical companies including Sangamo BioSciences, Calyx
Therapeutics and Matrix Pharmaceuticals. He is a certified
public accountant in the state of California and has previously served as a
senior staff accountant at Ernst & Young.
Dr. Kelleher is a skilled biopharmaceutical physician whose
experience spans both industry and academia. Her expertise in
the areas of metabolic disorders and gerontology aligns with
Viking's clinical development programs which she will be charged
with managing in her new role as Vice President of Clinical
Development. Most recently, Dr. Kelleher served as Vice
President of Clinical Development at Coherus BioSciences.
Previously, she served as Head of Clinical for the United States at Proteus Digital Health,
Inc. Prior to this she worked as a global safety officer for
inflammation and oncology and also a clinical research medical
director in nephrology at Amgen. Before joining industry, Dr.
Kelleher served as Associate Professor of Medicine at the
University of Colorado School of
Medicine. Her medical training included an
internship/residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins
Hospital, a joint clinical fellowship in nephrology and gerontology
at the Harvard teaching hospitals and a
post-clinical research fellowship in the Department of Genetics at
Harvard Medical School.
About Viking Therapeutics, Inc.
Viking Therapeutics,
Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the
development of novel, first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for
metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's research and
development activities leverage its expertise in metabolism to
develop innovative therapeutics designed to improve patients'
lives. Viking has exclusive worldwide rights to a portfolio
of five therapeutic programs in clinical trials or preclinical
studies, which are based on small molecules licensed from Ligand
Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. The company's clinical programs
include VK5211, an orally available, non-steroidal selective
androgen receptor modulator, or SARM, in Phase 2 development for
the treatment and prevention of lean body mass loss in patients who
have undergone hip fracture surgery, VK2809, a small molecule
thyroid beta agonist in Phase 2 development for
hypercholesterolemia and fatty liver disease, and VK0612, a
first-in-class, orally available drug candidate in Phase 2
development for type 2 diabetes. Viking is also developing
novel and selective agonists of the thyroid beta receptor for
adrenoleukodystrophy, as well as two earlier-stage programs
targeting metabolic diseases and anemia.
Follow Viking on Twitter @Viking_VKTX.
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SOURCE Viking Therapeutics, Inc.