Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) today
announced that world-renowned hematologist and sickle cell disease
(SCD) thought leader and advocate Kim Smith-Whitley, M.D., will
join the company as executive vice president and head of research
and development.
“As we enter a period of expected sustained growth for years to
come, aligning our research and development teams under a single
leader will make GBT even more efficient and productive in bringing
innovative medicines to patients. We are absolutely thrilled to add
Kim, a committed and accomplished global leader in sickle cell
disease, to our senior management team and to lead this critical
effort,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and chief executive
officer of GBT. “Kim has an impressive track record of developing
innovative programs that advance patient care. Her experience and
passion will be invaluable as we continue GBT’s journey to be the
leader in sickle cell treatments and transform this devastating
disease into a well-managed condition.”
Dr. Smith-Whitley is a board-certified pediatric hematologist
and clinical director of hematology and director of the
Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Smith-Whitley’s clinical work has centered
on program development and clinical initiatives to support
evidence-based clinical care. Her research has focused on SCD,
specifically pulmonary complications, transfusion-related
complications and health care utilization. She has served as
principal investigator for many federally- and industry-funded
clinical research studies, including clinical trials related to
pain prevention and curative therapies.
Dr. Smith-Whitley will officially join GBT in 2021, and in the
interim, will serve in an advisory capacity. Upon joining the
company, she plans to continue seeing patients part-time.
“With more than 30 years of helping patients battle sickle cell
disease, it is a true privilege to now have the opportunity to work
with the tremendous expertise at GBT and make an even broader
impact on patients,” said Dr. Smith-Whitley. “Leading GBT’s stellar
R&D teams from drug discovery to late-stage development and
accelerating the work to bring more transformative medicines to
more patients, for me, is really a dream job.”
Dr. Smith-Whitley is a former chief medical officer of the
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), where she
continues to serve as a member of the Board. She has received
numerous awards recognizing her expertise in teaching, advocacy and
clinical care, including the Master Clinician Awards at both CHOP
and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Smith-Whitley received her medical degree from George
Washington University and completed her postgraduate training at
the Children’s National Medical Center and CHOP.
“Kim’s tireless dedication and passion for the sickle cell
disease community has pushed boundaries and improved the lives of
many patients over many years,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, M.A.,
president and chief executive officer of the SCDAA. “We are excited
to see what exponential improvements for sickle cell disease might
be possible now that Kim is combining her extensive experience in
clinical research and patient care with the therapeutic innovation
we have seen from GBT.”
About Global Blood Therapeutics
Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) is a biopharmaceutical
company dedicated to the discovery, development, and delivery of
life-changing treatments that provide hope to underserved patient
communities. Founded in 2011, GBT is delivering on its goal to
transform the treatment and care of sickle cell disease (SCD), a
lifelong, devastating inherited blood disorder. The company has
introduced Oxbryta® (voxelotor), the first FDA-approved
treatment that directly inhibits sickle hemoglobin polymerization,
the root cause of red blood cell sickling in SCD. GBT is also
advancing its pipeline program in SCD with inclacumab, a P-selectin
inhibitor in development to address pain crises associated with the
disease, and GBT021601, the company’s next generation hemoglobin S
polymerization inhibitor. In addition, GBT’s drug discovery teams
are working on new targets to develop the next wave of treatments
for SCD. To learn more, please visit www.gbt.com and
follow the company on Twitter @GBT_news.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, including statements containing the words “will,”
“anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “forecast,” “estimates,”
“expects,” and “intends,” or similar expressions. These
forward-looking statements are based on GBT’s current expectations
and actual results could differ materially. Statements in this
press release may include statements that are not historical facts
and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. GBT intends these
forward-looking statements, including statements regarding GBT’s
priorities, dedication, commitment, focus, goals, journey, and
vision; the appointment of Kim Smith-Whitley, M.D., and expected
impact on GBT and patients; expectation of growth; potential
benefits of aligning R&D teams under a single leader; GBT’s
efficiency and productivity; the commercialization, characteristics
and potential of Oxbryta; altering the treatment, course, and care
of SCD and alleviating related complications; the potential of
GBT’s pipeline, including inclacumab and other product candidates;
and advancing GBT’s pipeline, working on new targets and
discovering, developing and delivering treatments, to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act, and GBT makes this statement for purposes
of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These
forward-looking statements reflect GBT’s current views about its
plans, intentions, expectations, strategies, and prospects, which
are based on the information currently available to the company and
on assumptions the company has made. GBT can give no assurance that
the plans, intentions, expectations, or strategies will be attained
or achieved, and, furthermore, actual results may differ materially
from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be
affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond GBT’s
control including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties
relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extent and
duration of the impact on GBT’s business, including
commercialization activities, regulatory efforts, research and
development, corporate development activities, and operating
results, which will depend on future developments that are highly
uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, such as the ultimate
duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social
distancing, and business closure requirements in
the U.S. and in other countries, and the effectiveness of
actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease; the risks
that GBT is continuing to establish its commercialization
capabilities and may not be able to successfully commercialize
Oxbryta; risks associated with GBT’s dependence on third parties
for development, manufacture, distribution and commercialization
activities related to Oxbryta; government and third-party payor
actions, including those relating to reimbursement and pricing;
risks and uncertainties relating to competitive products and other
changes that may limit demand for Oxbryta; the risks regulatory
authorities may require additional studies or data to support
continued commercialization of Oxbryta; the risks that drug-related
adverse events may be observed during commercialization or clinical
development; data and results may not meet regulatory requirements
or otherwise be sufficient for further development, regulatory
review or approval; compliance with the obligations under the
Pharmakon loan; and the timing and progress of GBT’s and Syros’
research and development activities under their collaboration;
along with those risks set forth in GBT’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, and in GBT’s
most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as discussions of
potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in
GBT’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. Except as required by law, GBT assumes no obligation to
update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contact:Steven Immergut
(media)GBT650.410.3258simmergut@gbt.com
Courtney Roberts (investors)GBT650.351.7881croberts@gbt.com
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