GW Pharmaceuticals Announces the Appointment of Three New Independent Members to its Board of Directors
December 21 2017 - 7:00AM
GW Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq:GWPH) (“GW” or “the Company”), a
biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and
commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid
product platform, today announced the appointment of three new
independent members to its Board of Directors, bringing the GW
Board to a total of eight members. Joining the Board of Directors
today are Catherine Mackey, Alicia Secor and Lord William
Waldegrave.
“We are very pleased to welcome these
outstanding individuals to the GW Board. The support and guidance
of these accomplished leaders will be valuable as GW embarks on the
next stage of its journey as a commercial stage company,” stated
Dr. Geoffrey Guy, GW’s Founder and Chairman of the Board of
Directors. “Their wealth of experience, talent, and expertise offer
additive value to our Board profile, as well as expands the number
of independent representatives.”
Catherine Mackey, PhDDr. Mackey
is an experienced corporate executive, director and advisor with
over thirty years of accomplishment in the biotechnology,
pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries. She is currently Chief
Executive Officer of CYPrus Therapeutics, Inc. and Chairman of the
Board of Cour Pharmaceutical Development. In addition, she
serves on the Board of Directors of Rady Children’s Hospital and as
an advisor to several companies. Dr. Mackey previously served
as Senior Vice President of Pfizer Worldwide R&D and Director,
of Pfizer’s La Jolla Laboratories, where she built Pfizer La Jolla
into one of Pfizer’s main pharmaceutical research and development
sites with over 1000 employees and a robust drug pipeline. Prior to
that role she served as head of Strategic Alliances and also
Genomic and Proteomic Sciences for Pfizer. Dr. Mackey spent
the first part of her career in agricultural biotechnology,
including as Vice President of DEKALB Genetics, Inc. Dr. Mackey
received her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in microbiology and
genetics from Cornell University.
Alicia SecorAlicia Secor is
currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Juniper
Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Secor brings more than 25 years of leadership
experience as a life sciences executive, with a track record in
leading businesses and advancing products from clinical development
through regulatory approval, commercialization, and global
expansion across several therapeutic areas. Ms. Secor was
previously Chief Commercial Officer at Zafgen, Inc. and Senior Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer at Synageva BioPharma Corp.
Ms. Secor spent 15 years at Genzyme Corporation in diverse
leadership roles, most recently as the Global General Manager for
the Metabolic Disease Business. During her tenure at Genzyme, Ms.
Secor led fully integrated businesses, successfully launching
products and achieving sustained revenue growth. Ms. Secor
spearheaded several strategic transactions and built high
performance teams, resulting in consistent growth and profitability
across multiple Genzyme businesses including biomaterials, surgical
devices, and injectable therapeutics. Prior to Genzyme, Ms. Secor
held positions at Alkermes, Inc. in business development, and at
Centocor, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company) in clinical and
commercial operations. She began her career at Pfizer Inc. as a
hospital-based sales representative. Ms. Secor received an M.B.A.
from Northeastern University, and a B.S. in Healthcare
Administration from the University of New Hampshire and serves as a
member of the Board of Directors for the Foundation for
Prader-Willi Research (FPWR).
William Waldegrave (Lord Waldegrave of
North Hill) Lord Waldegrave served as a Conservative
Member of the British Parliament from 1979 to 1997 including
sixteen years as a Government Minister, of which seven years were
as a Cabinet Minister (Minister of Agriculture, Chief Secretary of
the Treasury, Secretary of State for Health, and Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster with responsibility for the Civil Service Reform
and Science). Educated at Oxford University and Harvard (a Kennedy
Scholar), before entering Parliament he worked in the Cabinet
Office in Whitehall; as Political Secretary to Prime Minister
Edward Heath; and for GEC Ltd. Lord Waldegrave is currently Provost
of Eton College, Chancellor of Reading University and a
Distinguished Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and an Honorary
Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. From 1998-2008 he worked
at Deutsche Kleinwort Benson and UBS. From 1998–2015, he served as
Chairman of Biotechnology Growth Trust plc. Lord Waldegrave was
appointed Chairman of Coutts in January 2014 and is Chairman of the
Royal Mint Advisory Committee, former Chairman of the Rhodes Trust,
a Founder Trustee of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (South Africa),
and a former Chairman of the National Museum of Science and
Industry.
About GW Pharmaceuticals plc and
Greenwich Biosciences
Founded in 1998, GW is a biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing
novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product
platform in a broad range of disease areas. GW, along with its U.S.
subsidiary Greenwich Biosciences, is advancing an orphan drug
program in the field of childhood epilepsy with a focus on
Epidiolex (cannabidiol), for which GW has submitted an NDA to the
FDA for the adjunctive treatment of LGS and Dravet syndrome. The
Company continues to evaluate Epidiolex in additional epilepsy
conditions and currently has ongoing clinical trials in Tuberous
Sclerosis Complex and Infantile Spasms. GW commercialized the
world’s first plant-derived cannabinoid prescription drug, Sativex®
(nabiximols), which is approved for the treatment of spasticity due
to multiple sclerosis in numerous countries outside the United
States. The Company has a deep pipeline of additional cannabinoid
product candidates which includes compounds in Phase 1 and 2 trials
for gliobastoma, schizophrenia and epilepsy. For further
information, please visit www.gwpharm.com.
Forward-looking statements
This news release contains forward-looking
statements that reflect GW's current expectations regarding future
events, including statements regarding financial performance, the
timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or
intellectual property decisions, the relevance of GW products
commercially available and in development, the clinical benefits of
Epidiolex® (cannabidiol) and the safety profile and commercial
potential of Epidiolex. Forward-looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those
projected herein and depend on a number of factors, including
(inter alia), the success of GW’s research strategies, the
applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and
timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory
process, and the acceptance of Sativex, Epidiolex and other
products by consumer and medical professionals. A further list and
description of risks and uncertainties associated with an
investment in GW can be found in GW’s filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Form
20-F filed on 4 December 2017. Existing and prospective investors
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. GW undertakes
no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this
press release, whether as a result of new information, future
events or circumstances or otherwise.
Enquiries:
GW Pharmaceuticals plc |
|
Stephen Schultz, VP Investor Relations (U.S.) |
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280 2424 / 401 500 6570 |
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