Healthcare Industry News: Cougar Biotechnology
News Release - May 15, 2007
Cougar Biotechnology Announces Additions to Clinical Research and Development Team
LOS ANGELES--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCBB: CGRB ) today announced the appointments of Arturo Molina, M.D., MS, FACP as Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Development and Christopher M. Haqq, M.D., Ph.D. as Senior Director of Clinical Research and Development. Drs. Molina and Haqq have joined Cougar's clinical development team, which is responsible for advancing a portfolio of drugs including CB7630 (abiraterone acetate), CB3304 (noscapine) and CB1089 (seocalcitol).Dr. Molina brings to Cougar over 20 years of clinical investigation and drug development experience in oncology, encompassing both the biotechnology industry and academic settings. From 2002 until joining Cougar, Dr. Molina held a number of positions at Biogen Idec, most recently serving as Senior Director and Acting Head of the Oncology/Hematology therapeutic area in the Department of Medical Research and Clinical Development. In that role, Dr. Molina was responsible for all in-house and co-developed clinical stage hematology and oncology drug candidates. During his tenure at Biogen Idec, Dr. Molina successfully completed two end of Phase II meetings with the appropriate regulatory authorities in the U.S. and Europe, and was then responsible for the design, implementation and launch of the Phase III trials for cancer drugs galiximab and lumiliximab. Prior to Biogen Idec, Dr. Molina was a faculty staff physician at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center where he held numerous positions in the Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Division of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research. Dr. Molina also served on the Board of Directors of City of Hope Medical Group and was President-Elect of City of Hope Medical Staff. A graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Molina completed his post-graduate residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Medical Oncology, Biological Sciences and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Stanford.
Dr. Haqq brings to Cougar over 8 years of clinical and translational research experience in oncology. From 2005 until joining Cougar, Dr. Haqq was employed by Amgen Inc., where he led the Early Development Oncology Group. In that role, he successfully recruited and managed a team of M.D. and M.D. /Ph.D. clinical scientists for Amgen's Phase I and Phase II oncology product candidates. Dr. Haqq previously was a faculty member in the Departments of Medicine and Urology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He also served as an attending Urologic Oncologist at the UCSF Prostate Cancer Center under the leadership of Eric J. Small, M.D., who is Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for Cougar's cancer drug CB7630 (abiraterone acetate). Dr. Haqq received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in 1996 from Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in medical oncology and molecular medicine at UCSF.
Dr. Arie S. Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cougar Biotechnology, said, "Arturo and Chris bring important value-added skill sets to the clinical development team at Cougar. We are delighted to expand our clinical development team with such outstanding medical oncologists at this stage of the Company's growth."
Alan H. Auerbach, Chief Executive Officer and President of Cougar Biotechnology, added, "As the Company's pipeline progresses and most notably as our lead compound CB7630 (abiraterone acetate) advances towards Phase III clinical trial development, we are confident that Arturo and Chris will be great assets to Cougar. We look forward to future contributions that each of them will make to the Company."
About Cougar Biotechnology
Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based biotechnology company established to in-license and develop clinical stage drugs, with a specific focus on the field of oncology. Cougar's oncology portfolio includes CB7630, a targeted inhibitor of the 17-alpha hydroxylase/c17,20 lyase enzyme, which is currently being tested in Phase II clinical trials in prostate cancer; CB3304, an inhibitor of microtubule dynamics, which is currently in a Phase I trial in hematological malignancies and CB1089, an analog of vitamin D, which has been clinically tested in a number of solid tumor types.
Further information about Cougar Biotechnology can be found at www.cougarbiotechnology.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "believes," "intends," and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to benefits to be derived from Cougar's drug development programs, including the potential advantages of CB7630 and its potential for use in the treatment of CRPC and in second line hormone and chemotherapy treatment settings. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Cougar's actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks and uncertainties inherent in clinical trials, and drug development and commercialization, including the uncertainty of whether results in testing of CB7630 will be predictive of results in later stages of development. For a discussion of these and other factors, please refer to Cougar's annual report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2006 as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Cougar undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
Source: Cougar Biotechnology
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