Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Announces Executive Promotions and Provides Clinical Update
July 08 2019 - 8:30AM
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNSS) today announced the
promotion of Judy Fox, Ph.D. from Chief Scientific Officer, Senior
Vice President to Chief Scientific Officer, Executive Vice
President, Research & Development and the promotion of
Parvinder (Par) S. Hyare from Vice President, Global Oncology
Operations to Senior Vice President, Commercial.
“Judy and Par are accomplished leaders who have
each made invaluable contributions to our programs, most recently
with vecabrutinib. I am pleased to announce these well-deserved
promotions, and we look forward to their continued leadership as we
prepare for the next stage of our company’s growth,” said Dayton
Misfeldt, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Sunesis. “We are
seeing great momentum in our ongoing Phase 1b/2 trial towards
determining the recommended dose for the Phase 2 expansion and are
well prepared for the transition into this phase of the trial. We
are targeting our next detailed clinical update at the annual
American Society of Hematology meeting later this year.”
Dr. Fox rejoined Sunesis in 2017 as Chief
Scientific Officer and program leader for vecabrutinib, with
additional responsibility for much of the R&D organization
including translational research and clinical development. She has
contributed to the development of a number of promising and
marketed therapeutics, and has held roles of increasing
responsibility at companies including Genentech, Genencor, and
Chiron/Novartis. Dr. Fox received her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an A.B. in
Chemistry from Bryn Mawr College.
Mr. Hyare joined Sunesis in July 2014 with
extensive experience in leading commercial strategies and teams to
provide pricing, reimbursement, access and sales for oncology and
specialty products for companies such as AMAG Pharmaceuticals,
Ortho Biotech, a division of Johnson & Johnson, and Merck. At
Sunesis, Mr. Hyare has had responsibility for many areas including
commercial planning, strategic marketing, medical affairs, and
business development. Mr. Hyare holds a BS in Business
Administration with a minor in chemistry from CSU Stanislaus.
The company also announced that it has completed
the safety evaluation period for the 200 mg cohort of the ongoing
Phase 1b/2 trial of its non-covalent BTK inhibitor vecabrutinib in
adults with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
and other B-cell malignancies. To date, vecabrutinib has a
favorable safety profile with no drug-related serious adverse
events, supporting dose escalation to Cohort 5 (300 mg). This
cohort is now open.
About Sunesis
Pharmaceuticals
Sunesis is a biopharmaceutical company
developing new targeted therapeutics for the treatment of
hematologic and solid cancers. Sunesis has built an experienced
drug development organization committed to improving the lives of
people with cancer. The company is focused on advancing its novel
kinase inhibitor pipeline, with an emphasis on its oral
non-covalent BTK inhibitor vecabrutinib. Vecabrutinib is currently
being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 study in adults with chronic
lymphocytic leukemia and other B-cell malignancies that have
progressed after prior therapies. The company’s proprietary PDK1
inhibitor SNS-510 is in preclinical development. PDK1 is a master
kinase that activates other kinases important to cell growth and
survival including members of the AKT, PKC, RSK, and SGK families.
Sunesis is exploring strategic alternatives for vosaroxin, a
late-stage investigational product for relapsed or refractory AML.
Sunesis also has an interest in the pan-RAF inhibitor TAK-580 which
is licensed to Takeda. TAK-580 is in a clinical trial for pediatric
low-grade glioma.
For additional information on Sunesis, please
visit www.sunesis.com.
SUNESIS and the logos are trademarks
of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
This press release contains forward-looking
statements, including statements related to Sunesis’ continued
development of vecabrutinib (SNS-062), including the timing and
progress of the Phase 1b/2 trial of vecabrutinib, the therapeutic
potential of vecabrutinib, and the further development and
potential of its kinase inhibitor pipeline. Words such as
“believe,” “expect,” “likely,” “look forward” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based upon Sunesis' current
expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties. Sunesis' actual results and the timing of events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such
forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and
uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the risk related
to the timing or conduct of Sunesis' clinical trials, including the
vecabrutinib Phase 1b/2 trial, the risk that Sunesis' clinical or
preclinical studies for vecabrutinib, SNS-510 or any other product
candidate may not demonstrate safety or efficacy or lead to
regulatory approval, the risk that data to date and trends may not
be predictive of future data or results, that Sunesis' development
activities for vecabrutinib or SNS-510 could be otherwise halted or
significantly delayed for various reasons, that Sunesis may not be
able to receive regulatory approval of vecabrutinib, or SNS-510 in
the U.S. or Europe, and risks related to Sunesis' ability to raise
the capital that it believes to be accessible and is required to
fully finance the development and commercialization of
vecabrutinib, SNS-510 and other product candidates. These and other
risk factors are discussed under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in
Sunesis' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March
31, 2019 and Sunesis' other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Sunesis expressly disclaims any obligation or
undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any
forward-looking statements contained herein reflect any change in
Sunesis' expectations with regard thereto or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are
based.
Investor and Media
Inquiries: |
Maeve ConneightonArgot Partners212-600-1902 |
Willie QuinnSunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.650-266-3716 |
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