PixarBio Promotes David Kaplan To Chief Commercial Officer, As Neurorelease A Morphine Strength Non Addictive Pain Treatment Remains On Track For 2018 Launch

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PixarBio Corporation inventors of NeuroRelease^TM, a morphine strength, non-addictive non opiate pain treatment with expected FDA approval in 2018, announced today the promotion of David Kaplan from VP of Global Sales and Marketing to Chief Commercial Officer (C.C.O.).

“The postsurgical pain market is in serious need of a long-acting therapy to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for opioids due to rebound pain”

As CCO, Kaplan is responsible for the commercial marketing and sales strategy, focused on the CEO’s objectives. He leads all activities relating to marketing, sales, product development and customer service in order to capture Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) acceptance and set the pace for market share adoption. Kaplan will take ownership of the customer and the customer interface with the company’s product and service offering, making sure that all functions of the organization are aligned to meet its strategic commercial objectives. Overall, he will be ensuring the integrated commercial success of the organization. Today only one drug is FDA approved for 3 days of post-op pain treatment but it precedes and contributes to rebound pain. In addition, it is Neurotoxic after 5 days in the body so it is very bad for the long-term health of nerves. NeuroRelease is a non-toxic drug and long acting up to 14 days allowing two point discriminant touch. Treatments for 7 days, 90 days, and 30 days, and 4-8 hours are in the PixarBio R&D pipeline.

In his previous role as the VP of Global Sales and Marketing, Kaplan worked with Chief Executive Officer Frank Reynolds to gain and maintain momentum toward commercialization of NeuroRelease, PixarBio’s Morphine Strength Non-Addictive Pain Treatment. David established the clinical advisory board, comprised of Knee Society and Regional Anesthesia experts who are now part of the PixarBio Commercialization team.

Kaplan is also the founder of ‘Kappy’s Corner’, a section on the PixarBio website where he puts together information about the company and its products in various articles. He has been working to develop and execute PixarBio Corporation’s global sales strategy for all pre-commercial and commercial initiatives around their lead development product NeuroRelease. David was also responsible for the global sales strategy for all PixarBio Corporation product launches, and accountable for all facets of product roll-out and launch, sales forecasts, sales budgets, and maximizing cross-functional teams.

“David’s unique set of skills in the hospital setting, big pharma neuroscience, the operating room, accomplishments and passion in business outside the OR, all have been a perfect fit for the PixarBio team. He has accomplished so much so far and has been able to recruit many key opinion leaders (KOLs) and clinical contributors in the pain industry on board with our company. I can’t think of one Global Pharma with 5 of the Knee Society’s Top 20 Leaders on their clinical advisory Board, We Got This!” said PixarBio CEO, Frank Reynolds.

“The postsurgical pain market is in serious need of a long-acting therapy to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for opioids due to rebound pain,” said David Kaplan. “The brilliance of PixarBio's scientists in selecting a unique therapeutic along with an advanced drug delivery system that is able to release a powerful, non-opioid, morphine-strength therapy from a few hours out to 6-months will change the entire landscape of how postsurgical pain is treated once approved. I'm proud to work among such talented scientists and national thought leaders who truly understand the impact NeuroRelease will have here in the U.S. and globally.”

David Kaplan will be working out of PixarBio’s new Fort Lee, NJ office and he resides in NJ with his lovely wife Leila.

About PixarBio Corporation

Cofounded by Frank M. Reynolds, MIT’s Dr. Robert S. Langer, Katrin Holzhaus, and Dr. Jason Criscione, PixarBio researches and develops targeted delivery systems for drugs, cells, or biologics to treat pain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injury. For more information visit www.pixarbio.com.