Biopharmaceuticals Personnel

 News Release - October 14, 2015

Viamet Appoints Dr. Oren Cohen as Chief Medical Officer

Experienced Pharmaceutical Executive and Leading Expert in Clinical Development

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the appointment of Oren Cohen, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer to further strengthen the company’s management team. Dr. Cohen is a leading authority on the development of drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases and multiple other indications. Prior to joining Viamet, Dr. Cohen served as Senior Vice President and Global Head, Early Clinical Development as well as Chief Medical Officer for Quintiles Inc., where he was involved in the oversight of over 200 industry-sponsored clinical trials across numerous therapeutic areas.

“Oren’s clinical development expertise will be a key asset as we transition to a clinical-stage company with multiple product candidates,” commented Robert Schotzinger, MD, PhD, CEO of Viamet. “We are thrilled to have Oren join our management team and help us advance our portfolio of breakthrough drug candidates to treat both chronic and life-threatening fungal infections, cancer and orphan diseases.”

“I am pleased to join Viamet at such a transformative time in the company’s evolution,” said Dr. Cohen. “Viamet’s metalloenzyme biology and chemistry technology allows us to design next-generation drug candidates with a high degree of precision. This has created an exceptional pipeline with the potential to deliver highly differentiated drugs with superior safety and efficacy profiles compared to current standard of care in areas of unmet medical need.”

Dr. Cohen is a recognized expert in clinical development. He completed his fellowship in infectious diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where he spent seven years conducting basic and clinical HIV/AIDS research as a fellow, clinical associate and medical officer in the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation. Dr. Cohen was appointed assistant director for medical affairs at NIAID, where he also served on the Department of Health and Human Services/Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Panel on Clinical Practices for the Treatment of HIV Infection.

Dr. Cohen is board certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and is a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He is the author of more than 60 scientific papers and book chapters. A magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University, Dr. Cohen received his medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine, where he was an Alpha Omega Alpha honors graduate.

About Metalloenzymes

Enzymes are complex proteins that help to accelerate biochemical reactions in the body. Metalloenzymes are unique in that they contain a metal atom, commonly iron or zinc, at the center of the enzyme active site. Since many metalloenzymes have been clearly associated with disease, the metal in the enzyme is commonly a target for pharmaceutical intervention. It is estimated that approximately 10% of marketed drugs act by blocking metalloenzyme activity. Inhibitors of metalloenzymes are found across numerous therapeutic indications and many of the inhibitors have achieved blockbuster commercial status. The development of new metalloenzyme inhibitors remains a core focus of the pharmaceutical industry today and the primary focus for Viamet.

About Viamet (www.viamet.com)

Viamet discovers and develops breakthrough therapies based on our leadership in metalloenzyme chemistry and biology. Our clinical portfolio includes novel agents to treat both chronic and life threatening fungal infections. We also leverage our metalloenzyme expertise in other therapeutic areas including oncology and orphan diseases. Focusing on the needs of patients and clinicians, we design our drug candidates to achieve superior safety and efficacy profiles compared to currently marketed drugs.

This press release includes forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from these statements. There are many important risks affecting Viamet’s business, including that clinical trials may not be commenced, or if commenced, may not be successful, regulatory approvals may not be obtained and approved products, if any, may not achieve commercial success. The Viamet group of companies includes Viamet Pharmaceuticals Holdings, LLC and its operating subsidiaries, Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc., VPS-2, Inc. and VPS-3, Inc. The Viamet group of companies is based in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, USA.

Source: Viamet Pharmaceuticals

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