BRISBANE, Calif., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- BiPar Sciences, Inc., a
privately held biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer
therapeutics, announced that Hoyoung Huh, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed
President and Chief Executive Officer and will commence his new role on
March 3, 2008.
Dr. Huh previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Head of the
Pegylation Business Unit at Nektar Therapeutics, a drug development company
in the therapeutic areas of oncology, CNS/pain, diabetes and infectious
diseases. At Nektar, Dr. Huh led significant, revenue-generating
partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including Amgen Inc.,
Bayer AG, Baxter International Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Novartis AG
and Roche Holding Ltd. Dr. Huh managed more than 500 employees across
global sites in key functions including research, clinical development,
manufacturing, marketing and business development. He was also instrumental
in establishing multiple new product partnerships and led the acquisition
and divestiture of several entities.
Prior to Nektar, Dr. Huh was a partner with McKinsey & Company, serving
biotechnology, biopharmaceutical and healthcare clients in the United
States, Europe and Asia. He has been an industry thought leader and
frequent speaker on topics including licensing, mergers and acquisitions
and innovative product development and commercialization strategies. Dr.
Huh serves on the board of directors of BayBio, a biotechnology industry
association, and Nektar Therapeutics.
"Hoyoung is ideally suited to lead BiPar through this period of
expansion and change, with a robust Phase 2 program underway with BSI-201,
a potential best-in-class cancer therapy," said G. Kirk Raab, chairman of
BiPar, who had served as acting CEO prior to Dr. Huh's appointment. "His
business development experience is exceptional, and there is no doubt that
Hoyoung will maximize the value of BiPar's programs through rigorous
clinical development and well-considered partnerships."
BiPar is developing multiple compounds designed to inhibit PARP-1
(poly-ADP-ribose polymerase), an enzyme crucial to DNA repair that is
upregulated in certain tumors. The company's lead compound, BSI-201, has
entered a series of Phase 2 trials in tumors types where PARP is
overexpressed. The first of those trials will evaluate BSI-201 in patients
with "triple negative" breast cancer, and BiPar expects to begin trials in
brain and uterine cancers later this quarter.
"BiPar has an extraordinary platform of product candidates, a robust
biomarker-driven clinical development plan for its lead program, BSI-201,
and an industry-leading management team and board of directors," said Dr.
Huh. "I look forward to building BiPar into a leading oncology company by
leveraging its exciting product platform in DNA repair."
Dr. Huh received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Cornell University Medical
College/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and his A.B. from Dartmouth
College.
About BiPar Sciences
BiPar Sciences, Inc. (http://www.biparsciences.com) is a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing a novel class of
tumor-selective drugs designed to meet the significant unmet needs of
cancer patients.
SOURCE BiPar Sciences, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.biparsciences.com
CONTACT:
Eric Malek, Vice President, Corporate
Development of BiPar Sciences Inc., +1-650-635-0165,
emalek@biparsciences.com; or Brian Reid of WeissComm Partners,
+1-703-402-3626, breid@wcpglobal.com, for BiPar Sciences Inc.
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