Finch Therapeutics Announces Transition of Chief Medical Officer
November 10 2021 - 7:00AM
Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc. (“Finch” or “Finch Therapeutics”)
(Nasdaq: FNCH), a clinical-stage microbiome therapeutics company
leveraging its Human-First Discovery® platform to develop a novel
class of orally administered biological drugs, today announced that
Zain Kassam, MD, MPH has elected to step down as Chief Medical
Officer (CMO) in order to return to Canada to attend to a family
health matter. Dr. Kassam will continue to support the company as a
special advisor. Debra Silberg, MD, PhD, an accomplished
pharmaceutical executive and expert in clinical development, will
serve as interim CMO to support the company through this transition
and search for a new CMO.
“From day one, Finch has been committed to
harnessing the therapeutic potential of the microbiome to help
patients and families in need,” said Dr. Kassam. “I am incredibly
proud of the progress we have made executing on this mission and
the strong platform, pipeline, and team we have built. I am excited
about the enormous impact that Finch is positioned to have on
patients’ lives and look forward to continuing to support Finch’s
important and exciting work in a new capacity.”
“Zain is a true pioneer in the microbiome field,
and as a result of his leadership, expertise, and dedication to
serving patients, Finch is well positioned to deliver on the
mission we set out to achieve when we founded the company
together,” said Mark Smith, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Finch
Therapeutics. “I am deeply grateful to Zain for his many
contributions to Finch.”
Dr. Smith continued, “As we take the next steps
in advancing our pipeline, I am delighted to have the support of
Dr. Silberg, whose expertise in gastroenterology, immunology, and
drug development will make her guidance invaluable through this
transition.”
“Finch’s strategy of utilizing data science and
promising proof-of-concept human data to guide the development of
novel microbiome product candidates is a promising new approach to
drug development,” said Dr. Silberg. “I am pleased to have the
opportunity to support the Finch team as we prepare to launch
multiple programs into the clinic that we believe will demonstrate
the broad potential of this new modality.”
Dr. Silberg is a gastroenterologist and the
founder of Silberg Consulting, where she provides consultation to
biopharmaceutical companies, including Finch, on all aspects of
drug development from preclinical studies through regulatory
approvals. Previously, she held leadership roles of increasing
responsibility at Takeda and Shire (acquired by Takeda), including
Global Vice President, Head of Clinical Science and Development for
Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. During her time with Shire and
Takeda, she provided leadership and expertise to program teams
focused on the development of GI therapeutics, including work on
TAK-524, a microbiome product candidate licensed from Finch. She
also managed global teams of physicians and clinical scientists,
provided scientific and strategic support to the business
development team, and led clinical discussions with regulatory
authorities, including the defense of prucalopride (Motegrity®) at
the FDA Advisory Committee, which led to product approval. Prior to
Shire, she was a clinical program lead at AstraZeneca, leading
programs from Phase 1 through Phase 4 studies. Dr. Silberg earned
her BS from the University of Michigan, her PhD in Immunology from
Wayne State University School of Medicine, and her MD from Albert
Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine
residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of
Pennsylvania Health System. Prior to entering industry, she was a
faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Division of
Gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania where she
treated patients and was the principal investigator of an
NIH-funded molecular biology laboratory.
About Finch Therapeutics
Finch Therapeutics is a clinical-stage
microbiome therapeutics company leveraging its Human-First
Discovery® platform to develop a novel class of orally administered
biological drugs. With the capabilities to develop both complete
and targeted microbiome therapeutics, Finch is advancing a rich
pipeline of candidates designed to address a wide range of unmet
medical needs. Finch’s lead candidate, CP101, is in late-stage
clinical development for the prevention of recurrent C. difficile
infection (CDI), and has received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast
Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In
June 2020, Finch announced that CP101 met its primary efficacy
endpoint in PRISM3, the first of two pivotal trials to support the
development of CP101 for the prevention of recurrent CDI. PRISM4, a
Phase 3 trial, is designed to serve as the second pivotal trial of
CP101 for recurrent CDI. Finch is also developing CP101 for the
treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus, and FIN-211 for the
treatment of the gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms of autism
spectrum disorder. Finch has a partnership with Takeda focused on
the development of targeted microbiome therapeutics for
inflammatory bowel disease.
Human-First Discovery® is a registered
trademark of Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release
regarding matters that are not historical facts are
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as
"anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," “plans,”
“potential,” "projects,” “would” and "future" or similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
statements regarding: Finch’s ability to advance the
development of a novel class of therapeutics, including by
advancing new programs into clinical development; and the
therapeutic value and commercial potential of microbiome
therapeutics. Because such statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These
risks and uncertainties include, among others: Finch’s limited
operating history and historical losses; Finch’s ability to raise
additional funding to complete the development and any
commercialization of its product candidates; Finch’s dependence on
the success of its lead product candidate, CP101; the possibility
that Finch may be delayed in initiating, enrolling or completing
any clinical trials; results of clinical trials may not be
sufficient to satisfy regulatory authorities to approve Finch’s
product candidates in their targeted or other indications (or such
authorities may request additional trials or additional
information); results of clinical trials may not be indicative of
final or future results from later stage or larger clinical trials
(or in broader patient populations once the product is approved for
use by regulatory agencies) or may not be favorable or may not
support further development; Finch’s product candidates, including
CP101 and FIN-211 may not generate the benefits to patients that
are anticipated; anticipated regulatory approvals may be delayed or
refused; competition from third parties that are developing
products for similar uses; Finch’s ability to maintain patent and
other intellectual property protection and the possibility that
Finch’s intellectual property rights may be infringed, invalid or
unenforceable or will be threatened by third parties; Finch’s
ability to qualify and scale its manufacturing capabilities in
anticipation of commencement of multiple global clinical trials;
Finch’s lack of experience in selling, marketing and distributing
its product candidates; Finch’s dependence on third parties in
connection with manufacturing, clinical trials and preclinical
studies; and risks relating to the impact and duration of the
COVID-19 pandemic on Finch’s business. These and other risks are
described more fully in Finch’s filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the section titled “Risk
Factors” in Finch’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the
SEC on August 10, 2021, as well as discussions of potential risks,
uncertainties, and other important factors in Finch’s other filings
with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this
press release speak only as of the date on which they were made.
Except to the extent required by law, Finch undertakes no
obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur
or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were
made.
Investor Contact:
Laurence WattsGilmartin Group(619)
916-7620laurence@gilmartinir.com
or
Stephen JasperGilmartin Group(858)
525-2047stephen@gilmartinir.com
Media Contact:
Jenna UrbanBerry & Company Public
Relations(212) 253-8881jurban@berrypr.com
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