Healthcare Industry News: ATX-101
News Release - November 29, 2007
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Appoints Amgen Veteran as Chief Financial Officer
John W. Smither, CPA Joins Kythera, a Growing Biopharmaceutical CompanyLOS ANGELES--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Kythera") announced today the appointment of John W. Smither as Chief Financial Officer. Smither will be responsible for all financial and administrative aspects of the company including financing, business planning and budgeting, tax and accounting and treasury.
Smither brings to Kythera more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting. Most recently, he spent more than 9 years at Amgen, Inc. where he advanced rapidly through financial management positions for business units and subsidiaries based in Europe and the US. During his term as Chief Financial Officer of Amgen Europe, Smither directed financial planning, accounting, cost accounting, treasury, cash management and financial reporting under U.S. GAAP in 25 European countries. Other roles at Amgen included Head of Internal Audit and Executive Director of Corporate Accounting at Amgen where he was responsible for accounting operations including the selection and implementation planning of SAP’s business enterprise software. Prior to Amgen, Smither was an audit partner at Ernst & Young in Los Angeles, the Chief Financial Officer of several early stage industrial companies and a former member of the Board of Directors of Dompe Biotec S.p.A.
Smither holds a BS in Accounting from California State University at Los Angeles. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA) and Financial Executives International (FEI).
“As Kythera moves to its next round of funding and prepares for access to public markets, we are fortunate to have someone of John’s caliber and financial prowess to lead the effort,” said Keith Leonard, Kythera’s CEO. “He joins the company at a pivotal time, and I am extremely pleased to have him on board.”
Kythera is conducting multiple trials in the US, UK, and Australia on its lead product ATX-101 and is nearing completion of a trial in France on ATX-201.
About Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on science and innovation in aesthetic medicine. The aesthetic medicine market is expanding rapidly driven by an aging population, increasing discretionary income, and an evolution of patient preference toward restorative and preventative care. The company uses the tools of biotechnology to develop prescription therapeutics for this emerging market. Kythera has clinical-stage programs in adipolysis, pigmentation modulation, and actinic keratosis, and preclinical-stage research programs in photoaging, dermal contouring, and topical neuromodulation.
For more information about Kythera, please visit the company’s Web site at www.kytherabiopharma.com.
Source: Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
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