BioCryst Appoints Helen Thackray, M.D., as Chief Research and Development Officer
March 19 2021 - 7:00AM
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:BCRX) today announced that
the company has appointed Helen Thackray, M.D., FAAP, to the newly
created position of chief research and development officer.
In this role, Dr. Thackray will be responsible
for continuing to build the company’s portfolio of rare disease
medicines by developing and advancing the company’s R&D
strategy from drug discovery through clinical development and
regulatory approval.
Dr. Thackray currently serves on the BioCryst
board of directors and most recently served as chief medical
officer and senior vice president of clinical development at
GlycoMimetics, Inc. where she led their orphan product, fast track,
and breakthrough therapy programs at all stages of development in
rare diseases and oncology.
Prior to joining GlycoMimetics, Dr. Thackray was
vice president of clinical development at Biosynexus, and served
for over a decade on the research ethics review board of the
National Center for Healthcare Statistics, part of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is a board-certified
pediatrician, serving on the faculty of the Children’s National
Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine
and Health Sciences from 2000-present. Dr. Thackray has authored
more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and presentations.
“We have seen first-hand from her many
contributions as a board member how Helen’s strategic understanding
of drug development enhances and accelerates our programs and we
are thrilled to add her expertise to the leadership team of
BioCryst as we build on our recent success and shape the future of
the company,” said Jon Stonehouse, chief executive officer of
BioCryst.
“The home-grown pipeline of oral compounds for
multiple rare diseases that the discovery team at BioCryst has
produced is extraordinary. I am excited to join the team at a
transformational time for BioCryst as the company becomes
commercial and continues to discover and develop innovative
medicines that improve patients’ lives,” Thackray said.
Dr. Thackray holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in biological sciences from Stanford University, and an M.D. from
the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health
Sciences. She completed her pediatric residency and chief residency
at Children’s National Medical Center, trained in medical genetics
at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National
Institutes of Health, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of
Pediatrics (FAAP).
About BioCryst
Pharmaceuticals
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals discovers novel, oral,
small-molecule medicines that treat rare diseases in which
significant unmet medical needs exist and an enzyme plays a key
role in the biological pathway of the disease. Oral, once-daily
ORLADEYO™ (berotralstat) is approved in the United States and Japan
for the prevention of HAE attacks in adults and pediatric patients
12 years and older, and under regulatory review for approval in the
European Union and United Kingdom. BioCryst has several ongoing
development programs including BCX9930, an oral Factor D inhibitor
for the treatment of complement-mediated diseases, BCX9250, an
ALK-2 inhibitor for the treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans
progressiva, and galidesivir, a potential treatment for Marburg
virus disease and Yellow Fever. RAPIVAB® (peramivir
injection), a viral neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of
influenza, has received regulatory approval in the U.S., Canada,
Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Post-marketing commitments for
RAPIVAB are ongoing. For more information, please visit the
company’s website at www.biocryst.com.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis
press release contains forward-looking statements, including
statements regarding BioCryst’s future results, performance or
achievements. These statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual
results, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect
our current views with respect to future events and are based on
assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these
uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could
affect the forward-looking statements contained herein include: the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which could create challenges in
all aspects of BioCryst’s business, including without
limitation delays, stoppages, difficulties and increased expenses
with respect to BioCryst’s and its partners’ development,
regulatory processes and supply chains, negatively impact
BioCryst’s ability to access the capital or credit markets to
finance its operations, or have the effect of heightening many of
the risks described below or in the documents BioCryst periodically
files with the Securities and Exchange Commission; BioCryst’s
ability to successfully implement its commercialization plans for,
and to commercialize, ORLADEYO, which could take longer or be
more expensive than planned; ongoing and future preclinical and
clinical development of BCX9930, BCX9250, and galidesivir may not
have positive results; BioCryst may not be able to enroll the
required number of subjects in planned clinical trials of product
candidates; BioCryst may not advance human clinical trials with
product candidates as expected; the FDA, EMA, MHRA, PMDA or other
applicable regulatory agency may require additional studies beyond
the studies planned for products and product candidates, may not
provide regulatory clearances which may result in delay of planned
clinical trials, may impose certain restrictions, warnings, or
other requirements on products and product candidates, may
impose a clinical hold with respect to product candidates,
or may withhold, delay, or withdraw market approval for
products and product candidates; products and product
candidates, if approved, may not achieve market acceptance;
BioCryst’s ability to successfully manage its growth and compete
effectively; risks related to the international expansion of
BioCryst’s business; and actual financial results may not be
consistent with expectations, including that operating expenses and
cash usage may not be within management's expected
ranges. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files
periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
specifically BioCryst’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K,
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K,
all of which identify important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in BioCryst’s
forward-looking statements.
BCRXW
Contact:InvestorsJohn Bluth+1 919
859 7910jbluth@biocryst.com
MediaCatherine Collier
Kyroulis+1 917 886 5586ckyroulis@biocryst.com
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