SAN DIEGO, Jan. 6, 2021 /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 two key executive promotions. The company has
named Greg Zante as chief financial officer and Marianne Mancini as chief operating
officer.
Mr. Zante possesses nearly 25 years of financial management
experience at public and private companies in the biotechnology and
accounting industries and most recently served as Viking's senior
vice president of finance. Ms. Mancini has more than 30 years of
experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry
focusing on the management and oversight of clinical trials from
early-stage to late-stage drug development and most recently served
as the company's senior vice president of clinical operations.
"Greg and Marianne have played integral roles in the successes
that Viking has achieved over the past several years, including the
advancement of our pipeline of best-in-class therapies for
metabolic and endocrine disorders and the execution of a prudent
financial strategy to support our continued progress," stated
Brian Lian, Ph.D., chief executive
officer of Viking. "These promotions are well deserved and
reflect Greg's and Marianne's contributions to Viking's position as
a leader in the discovery and development of novel therapies for
the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH."
Prior to joining Viking in 2016 as vice president of finance and
operations, 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 Therapeutics, Calyx Therapeutics and
Matrix Pharmaceuticals. He is a certified public accountant in the
state of California and previously
served as a senior staff accountant at Ernst & Young. Mr. Zante
received his bachelor's degree in business-economics from the
University of California, Los
Angeles.
Prior to joining Viking in 2015 as vice president of clinical
operations, Ms. Mancini was senior director of clinical operations
at Ambit Biosciences Corporation, a company focused on the
development of oncology therapies for the treatment of acute
myeloid leukemia. Previously, she was the senior director of
clinical operations at Aires Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company
focused on developing therapies for pulmonary vascular disorders,
and also served as senior director of project management and
clinical operations at Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she was
the project team leader for the company's lead obesity compound,
BELVIQ®. Ms. Mancini has also previously held positions
at Baxter BioSciences, Genentech and Procter & Gamble
Pharmaceuticals. She holds a master's degree in bioethics from
Loyola Marymount University, an MBA
from the University of Phoenix, and a
bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from McGill University.
About Viking Therapeutics, Inc.
Viking Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on the development of novel, orally available,
first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for the treatment of
metabolic and endocrine disorders. Viking's research and
development activities leverage its expertise in metabolism to
develop innovative therapeutics designed to improve patients'
lives. The company's clinical programs include VK2809, a
novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone
receptor beta agonist for the treatment of lipid and metabolic
disorders, which is currently being evaluated in a
Phase 2b study for the treatment of biopsy-confirmed
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. In a Phase
2 trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD) and elevated LDL-C, patients who received VK2809
demonstrated statistically significant reductions in LDL-C and
liver fat content compared with patients who received
placebo. The company is also developing VK0214, a novel,
orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor
beta agonist for the potential treatment of X-linked
adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). VK0214 is currently being
evaluated in a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial. The
company holds exclusive worldwide rights to a portfolio of five
therapeutic programs, including those noted above, which are based
on small molecules licensed from Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Incorporated.
For more information about Viking Therapeutics, please visit
www.vikingtherapeutics.com. Follow Viking on Twitter
@Viking_VKTX.
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SOURCE Viking Therapeutics, Inc.