WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Signatures Inc. (TSXV:DXD) (OTCQB:TDSGF) (FSE:3D0) (the “Company” or “3DS”), is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kevin Little, subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, a leading biomedical scientist and corporate executive, as its new Chief Scientific Officer (“CSO”), effective immediately. In this role, Dr. Little will oversee the design, development and implementation of the Company’s clinical programs.
Dr. Little is an accomplished industry executive with a strong history of success in leading life sciences ventures through the creation of collaborative business ecosystems. Prior to his position at 3DS, Dr. Little worked as an independent consultant, offering strategic advisory services to help facilitate new life sciences collaborations and research-related ecosystems for public and private sector clients, including Thomson Reuters, Illumina, Janssen, McGill University and the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health. Dr. Little previously led strategic planning for the PERFORM Centre, a $36 Million health research and community services complex, as the Founding Chief Administrative Officer. There, he established and oversaw all operations across nine business units. Before returning to Canada to lead the start-up of the PERFORM Centre, Dr. Little spent several years leading the New Zealand government’s economic development efforts to build strategic investment relationships across the biotechnology industry sector.
Dr. Little holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Victoria, and earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, specializing in DNA repair and functional human genomics. During his Ph.D. studies, he was part of a biotech start-up developing clinical assays to map the functional organization of the human genome. Dr. Little went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in translational neuroscience and clinical gene therapy at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and is a Certified Strategic Alliance Professional.
“With his unique combination of clinical and executive expertise, Kevin is exceptionally well-qualified to lead our clinical development programs as Chief Scientific Officer, and we are thrilled that we attracted a candidate of his caliber to this key position,” said Jason Flowerday, CEO of 3D Signatures. “Kevin has an outstanding track record in helping life sciences companies grow, and we look forward to working with him to bring 3DS’ transformational technology to market.”
“I’m thrilled to join 3DS, an innovative personalized medicine company with a potentially game-changing technology, at such an exciting stage,” commented Dr. Little. “3DS’ platform is fundamentally different from conventional diagnostic methods, and represents an entirely new diagnostic paradigm. This disruptive technology has the potential to dramatically improve patient outcomes, something I’m very passionate about, while, at the same time, reducing costs and improving resource use across the healthcare system. I look forward to working with everyone at 3DS to maximize the clinical and commercial potential of this exciting new technology.”
In connection with Dr. Little’s appointment as CSO, and pursuant to 3DS’ stock option plan, the Board of Directors of the Company granted Dr. Little 25,000 stock options (the “Options”), exercisable at $0.74, the closing price of the Company’s shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on April 7, 2017. The Options will vest in two tranches, 10,000 on April 10, 2018 and 15,000 on April 10, 2019. Once vested, the Options are exercisable for ten years from the date of grant.
3DS also announced that it has granted 23,000 incentive stock options (the “Incentive Options”) to recently hired employees of its subsidiary, 3D Signatures Holdings Inc., at an exercise price of $0.74. The Incentive Options are exercisable for a ten-year period from the date of the grant and will vest 50% in April 2018 and 50% in April 2019, respectively.
About 3DS
3DS (TSXV:DXD) (OTCQB:TDSGF) (FSE:3D0) is a personalized medicine company with a proprietary software platform based on the three-dimensional analysis of chromosomal signatures. The technology is well developed and supported by 22 clinical studies on over 2,000 patients on 13 different cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. Depending on the desired application, this platform technology can measure the stage of disease, rate of progression of disease, drug efficacy, and drug toxicity. The technology is designed to predict the course of disease and to personalize treatment for the individual patient. For more information, visit the Company’s new website at http://www.3dsignatures.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although 3DS believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking information include, among other things: market demand; technological changes that could impact the Company’s existing products or the Company’s ability to develop and commercialize future products; competition; existing governmental legislation and regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental legislation and regulations; the ability to manage operating expenses, which may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition; the Company’s ability to successfully maintain and enforce its intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; adverse results or unexpected delays in clinical trials; changes in laws, general economic and business conditions; and changes in the regulatory regime. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information, please contact: Hugh Rogers VP Corporate Finance 604-428-8842 investors@3dsignatures.com OR Stephen Kilmer Investor Relations 647-872-4849 stephen.kilmer@3dsignatures.com
