Ziopharm Oncology Names Drug Development Leader Dr. Chris Bowden to Board of Directors
October 15 2019 - 8:00AM
Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. (“Ziopharm” or “the Company”)
(Nasdaq:ZIOP), today announced that Chris Bowden, M.D., an oncology
drug development executive with more than 20 years leadership
experience spanning pre-clinical development through
commercialization, including the approval of several cancer
medicines, has been appointed to the Company’s Board of
Directors. Dr. Bowden is the Chief Medical Officer of Agios
Pharmaceuticals and was previously Vice President, Product
Development Oncology, at Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche
Group.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Bowden to the
Ziopharm Board. Chris brings more than two decades of oncology drug
development proficiency, including the clinical development and
global registrations of several marketed cancer medicines,” said
Scott Tariff, Ziopharm’s Chairman. “His experience in successfully
bringing cancer therapies to the market will greatly benefit
Ziopharm as our Sleeping Beauty platform and Controlled IL-12
clinical pipeline both continue to advance.”
Since 2014, Dr. Bowden has served as CMO for
Agios Pharmaceuticals, where he has built the clinical development
organization and directed global clinical development and
regulatory activities in oncology and rare genetic diseases. During
his tenure, Agios has garnered FDA approval for two isocitrate
dehydrogenase (IDH) inhibitors, IDHIFA® (partnership with
Celgene Corporation) and TIBSOVO® for adult patients with
IDH1/2 mutation positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). During Dr.
Bowden’s eight years at Genentech as VP of Product Development
Oncology, he led the teams responsible for the development and
global registrations of several marketed cancer medicines,
including Zelboraf® indicated for the treatment of BRAF V600E
mutant-positive metastatic melanoma, Tarceva® indicated for first
line therapy of patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose
tumors have an activating mutation of the Epidermal Growth Factor
receptor (EGFR), and Erivedge® for patients with unresectable,
locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma.
“Ziopharm has made an impressive corporate
transformation in the past year through regained independence and
steady execution,” commented Dr. Bowden. “With each of the
Company’s core programs advancing in the clinic this year, I am
eager to contribute to the plans for the clinical development and
regulatory strategy for these promising and urgently needed
treatments.”
From 2003 to 2006, Dr. Bowden worked for
Bristol-Myers Squibb as the executive director for EMEA (Europe,
Middle East, Africa) regions. In this role, he led medical affairs
strategies for cancer, immunology and pain medicines. Earlier, Dr.
Bowden held positions of increasing responsibility in oncology
clinical development at Pharmacia Corporation and Janssen
Pharmaceutica.
Prior to his industry experience, Dr. Bowden was
on the oncology faculty at the University of Virginia Health
Science Center. Dr. Bowden received his medical degree from
Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, followed
by internal medicine training at Roger Williams Medical Center and
the Providence VA Medical Center, in Rhode Island. He completed his
medical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute
Medicine Branch. Dr. Bowden is board certified in internal medicine
and medical oncology.
The addition of Dr. Bowden represents the sixth
new board member for Ziopharm in the past 18 months. With this
appointment, the company has successfully reshaped and repopulated
its board of directors, adding the skills and experience needed to
guide the company into the future.
About Ziopharm Oncology,
Inc.Ziopharm Oncology is an immuno-oncology company
focused on developing end-to-end cost-effective solutions using its
non-viral Sleeping Beauty platform for TCR and CAR T-cell therapies
and immune-stimulating gene therapy with Controlled interleukin 12
(IL-12). The Sleeping Beauty platform genetically modifies T cells
with DNA plasmids to express T-cell receptors to target neoantigens
inside and outside hotspots for solid tumors and CAR to target CD19
for blood cancers using the Company’s rapid personalized
manufacturing to produce and release CAR-T within two days of gene
transfer. The Sleeping Beauty platform is being advanced in
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Eden BioCell. The Company also
is developing its Controlled IL-12 platform, or Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus
veledimex, as monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint
inhibitors to treat brain cancer, including in collaboration
with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Forward-Looking Statements
DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking
statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements
that are not historical facts, and in some cases can be identified
by terms such as "may," "will," "could," "expects," "plans,"
"anticipates," and "believes." These statements include, but are
not limited to, statements regarding the progress and timing of the
Company's research and development programs. Although Ziopharm’s
management team believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned
that forward-looking information and statements are subject to
various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to
predict and generally beyond the control of Ziopharm, that could
cause actual results and developments to differ materially from
those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking
information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include
among other things, changes in our operating plans that may impact
our cash expenditures, the uncertainties inherent in research and
development, future clinical data and analysis, including whether
any of Ziopharm’s product candidates will advance further in the
preclinical research or clinical trial process, including
maintaining clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or
equivalent foreign regulatory agencies to conduct clinical trials
and whether and when, if at all, they will receive final approval
from the U.S. FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies and for
which indication; the strength and enforceability of Ziopharm’s
intellectual property rights; competition from other pharmaceutical
and biotechnology companies as well as risk factors discussed or
identified in the public filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission made by Ziopharm, including those risks and
uncertainties listed in Ziopharm’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
filed by Ziopharm with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We
are providing this information as of the date of this press
release, and Ziopharm does not undertake any obligation to update
or revise the information contained in this press release whether
as a result of new information, future events or any other
reason.
Ziopharm Oncology Contact:
Chris Taylor VP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
617-502-1881 ctaylor@ziopharm.com
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