Executive Leadership Expanded Ahead of First Potential U.S. Product Launch
July 24 2020 - 6:00AM
Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq: MESO; ASX: MSB), global leader in
cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, today announced the
appointment of Dagmar Rosa-Bjorkeson to the role of Chief
Operating Officer (COO), based in New York.
Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson’s responsibilities will include managing
commercial operations, leading the business units, building out key
strategic alliances, and overseeing product launches. She will
be part of an expanded executive leadership structure
that will deliver deep operational, commercial, and strategic
pharmaceutical experience in line with the Company’s transition to
becoming a fully integrated commercial organization.
Mesoblast Chief Executive Dr Silviu Itescu stated: “I am
pleased to welcome Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson to join our highly experienced
and credentialed cross-functional executive leadership
team. Mesoblast is very well positioned to build out our
product portfolio and to be ready for the potential launch of
RYONCIL™ in the United States market for pediatric
steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease.”
Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson has more than 25 years of global
experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including executive
leadership in corporate and product strategy, market development
and operational execution. She has led multiple successful
product launches, including Gilenya® for multiple
sclerosis at Novartis where she was Vice President and Head of
its multiple sclerosis business unit, Vice President, Business
Development and Licensing in the United States, and Country
Head and President for Novartis Sweden. More recently, Ms
Rosa-Bjorkeson served as Executive Vice President and President,
Biosimilars, at Baxalta, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda
Pharmaceutical Company. She was also Executive Vice President
and Chief Strategy and Development Officer at
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson is highly valued
for her ability to deliver product launch excellence across mass
markets, as well as specialty and rare disease brands.
Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson said: “I am very pleased to join
Mesoblast at such an exciting and important time in the Company’s
history, and to be part of a cross-functional leadership team that
is working towards bringing its cell therapies to patients with
critical unmet needs.”
About RYONCIL™ (remestemcel-L)
RYONCIL (remestemcel-L) is an allogeneic cell therapy
product candidate believed to have immunomodulatory properties
to counteract the cytokine storms that are implicated in various
inflammatory conditions. The mechanism of action is thought to
involve down-regulating the production of pro-inflammatory
cytokines, increasing production of anti-inflammatory cytokines,
and enabling recruitment of naturally occurring anti-inflammatory
cells to involved tissues. Mesoblast’s Biologics License
Application to seek approval of RYONCIL™ for pediatric
steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease has been
accepted for priority review by the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and if approved, product launch in the United
States is expected in 2020. Remestemcel-L is also being developed
for other inflammatory diseases in children and adults including
moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS). Following positive pilot trial results under
compassionate care use, remestemcel-L is being evaluated in a Phase
3 randomized controlled trial in 300 patients with COVID-19 ARDS in
the United States.
About MesoblastMesoblast Limited (Nasdaq:MESO;
ASX:MSB) is a world leader in developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf)
cellular medicines. The Company has leveraged its proprietary
mesenchymal lineage cell therapy technology platform to establish a
broad portfolio of commercial products and late-stage product
candidates. Mesoblast has a strong and extensive global
intellectual property (IP) portfolio with protection extending
through to at least 2040 in all major markets. The Company’s
proprietary manufacturing processes yield industrial-scale,
cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, cellular medicines. These cell
therapies, with defined pharmaceutical release criteria, are
planned to be readily available to patients worldwide. Mesoblast is
completing Phase 3 trials for its product candidates for advanced
heart failure and chronic low back pain. Two products have been
commercialized in Japan and Europe by Mesoblast’s licensees, and
the Company has established commercial partnerships in Europe and
China for certain Phase 3 assets.
Mesoblast has locations in Australia, the United States and
Singapore and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (MSB)
and on the Nasdaq (MESO). For more information, please see
www.mesoblast.com, LinkedIn: Mesoblast Limited and Twitter:
@Mesoblast
Forward-Looking StatementsThis announcement
includes forward-looking statements that relate to future events or
our future financial performance and involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual
results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ
materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Forward-looking
statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance
or results, and actual results may differ from the results
anticipated in these forward-looking statements, and the
differences may be material and adverse. Forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements about: the timing,
progress and results of Mesoblast’s preclinical and clinical
studies; Mesoblast’s ability to advance product candidates into,
enroll and successfully complete, clinical studies; the timing or
likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; and the pricing and
reimbursement of Mesoblast’s product candidates, if approved;
Mesoblast’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property
on its product candidates and Mesoblast’s ability to successfully
defend these in cases of alleged infringement. You should read this
press release together with our risk factors, in our most recently
filed reports with the SEC or on our website. Uncertainties and
risks that may cause Mesoblast’s actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from those which may be
expressed or implied by such statements, and accordingly, you
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. We do not undertake any obligations to publicly update
or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new information, future developments or otherwise.
Release authorized by the Chief Executive.
For further information, please contact:
MediaJulie
MeldrumT: +61 3 9639
6036E: julie.meldrum@mesoblast.com |
Kristen BothwellT: +1 917
613 5434E: kbothwell@rubenstein.com |
InvestorsSchond
GreenwayT: +212 880 2060E: schond.greenway@mesoblast.com |
Paul Hughes T: +61 3 9639
6036E: paul.hughes@mesoblast.com |
Mesoblast (NASDAQ:MESO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2024 to Aug 2024
Mesoblast (NASDAQ:MESO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2023 to Aug 2024