Healthcare Industry News: ALK
News Release - February 11, 2008
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Strengthens Management; Appoints Oncologist Richard A. Bender, MD as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Broad Experience From National Cancer Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Scripps Clinic and Research Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Quest DiagnosticsParticipated In Numerous Clinical Trials Through the Cancer and Leukemia Group-B, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast And Bowel Project, and Others
Managed Second Largest Cancer Center In California With 3,500 New Patient Visits Yearly And More Than 250 Chemotherapy Administrations Weekly
Prepared And Conducted Phase 1, 2 And 3 Clinical Trials For NCI, Cooperative Groups, and Industry
Author Of Over 60 Peer-Reviewed Scientific Articles And Numerous Book Chapters
IRVINE, Calif.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGM:SPPI ) today announced the appointment of Richard A. Bender, MD, FACP to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Reporting to Gino Lenaz, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Bender will be responsible for strategic planning and implementation of the company’s clinical programs.
“Dr. Bender is a Board certified Oncologist who spent several years at National Cancer Institute,” said Dr. Lenaz. “Dr. Bender has designed and run nearly 40 clinical trials for cooperative groups and biotechnology companies, and overseen the preparation of regulatory documents needed for NDA submissions. He will be instrumental in assessing in-licensing opportunities and designing and running the clinical trials for our promising drug portfolio.”
“I am very excited to be joining a company with so much opportunity,” said Bender. “I was attracted to Spectrum’s broad pipeline of early- and late-stage drugs and an exceptional team of MDs, PhDs, and scientists who have a track record of success in the arena of drug development, regulatory approval and commercialization. I look forward to helping advance the projects and identifying potential new drug candidates.”
“Dr. Bender has a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of oncologic drug development,” said Rajesh C. Shrotriya, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “As an increasing number of our drugs advance through the clinical development and regulatory approval process, Dr. Bender will play an important role in expediting those activities and in implementing our strategy of identifying new opportunities for the future of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals”
Dr. Bender most recently served as the Medical Director for the Oncology division of Quest Diagnostics, Inc. where he was involved in the development of new biomarkers and genomic assays. Prior to his tenure at Quest, he spent nearly two decades at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, where he helped to develop their clinical oncology program into one of the busiest in the western United States, seeing over 3,500 new patients per year and treating more than 250 patients a week with intravenous chemotherapy. In addition, he participated in national clinical trials through the CALGB, NSABP and numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. While at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Bender also served on the executive board of the San Diego Hospice and the American Cancer Society, and served as a clinical instructor at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Bender spent four years dividing his time between laboratory research in folate transport and clinical practice at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. Dr. Bender received his sub-specialty training in hematology/oncology at the National Cancer Institute where he spent six years as both a Clinical Associate and Senior Investigator in the Medicine Branch. He received his MD degree from the UCLA School of Medicine followed by specialty training in Internal Medicine at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital.
Dr. Bender is currently a clinical instructor at the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine and is a co-editor of Anti-Cancer Drugs, an international oncology journal, as well as serving as an expert reviewer in oncology for the Medical Board of California. Dr. Bender is the author of over 60 peer-reviewed scientific articles and numerous book chapters on topics including malignant lymphoma, pancreatic cancer and the clinical pharmacology of Vinca ALKaloids.
About Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals acquires, develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of oncology drug candidates that meet critical health challenges for which there are few other treatment options. The company's pipeline includes promising early and late-stage drug candidates with unique formulations and mechanisms of action that address the needs of seriously ill patients, such as at-home chemotherapy and new treatment regimens for refractory disease. For more information, please visit our website at www.spectrumpharm.com.
Forward-looking statement – This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include but are not limited to statements that relate to our business and its future, Spectrum's ability to identify, acquire, develop and commercialize its portfolio of drug candidates, the Company's promising pipeline, that an increasing number of our drugs continue to advance through the clinical development and regulatory approval process, and any statements that relate to the intent, belief, plans or expectations of Spectrum or its management, or that are not a statement of historical fact. Risks that could cause actual results to differ include the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, may not prove safe or effective, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates may not receive approval from the FDA, and other regulatory agencies in a timely manner or at all, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, if approved, may not be more effective, safer or more cost efficient than competing drugs, the possibility that our efforts to acquire or in-license and develop additional drug candidates may fail, our lack of revenues, our limited marketing experience, our dependence on third parties for clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and quality control and other risks that are described in further detail in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not plan to update any such forward-looking statements and expressly disclaim any duty to update the information contained in this press release except as required by law.
Source: Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
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