BiPar Sciences, Inc. Names Hoyoung Huh, M.D., Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer
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.