CARLSBAD, Calif., July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ardea Biosciences, Inc. today announces the appointment of Patrick M. O’Connor, PhD, as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Research and Preclinical Development and Chief Scientific Officer. Patrick will be responsible for leading the Company’s research and preclinical development efforts, as well as establishing its Scientific Advisory Board.
“Patrick brings significant experience to Ardea Biosciences in oncology and pharmaceutical research and development, having brought 20 drug candidates into clinical trials, including 17 small molecules, one of which is now in registration studies for cancer,” said President and CEO, Barry D. Quart, PharmD.
“I am impressed with Ardea Biosciences’ experience and expertise in designing targeted therapies for serious diseases and I look forward to working with Ardea Biosciences’ talented research team to develop ‘best in class’ drugs to treat patients with viral disease, cancer and inflammatory disease,” said Patrick O’Connor.
Prior to joining the Company, Patrick O’Connor served in various executive research positions at Pfizer Global Research & Development and Agouron Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer, Inc.), in La Jolla, California, from 1998 to 2007. His responsibilities included setting the overall global oncology research strategy and overseeing all aspects of oncology and diabetes discovery efforts, which encompassed generation of new drug targets to selection of development candidates. He also provided strategic and scientific support for Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies and setting the overall strategic direction for the Company’s oncology R&D activities. Prior to joining Pfizer, Patrick served as a Fogarty Fellow, Associate and Scientist at The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, Maryland, from 1988 to 1998. He is on the Editorial Board of Cancer Research and a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Clinical Oncology and New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. O’Connor received his BSc degree in Pharmacology from Bradford University, England, and his PhD in Experimental Oncology Therapeutics from Manchester University, England.
About Ardea Biosciences, Inc.
Ardea is focused on the development of small-molecule drugs that address large pharmaceutical markets. We plan to source these development candidates from both our internal drug discovery programs and our continued in-licensing efforts. Our initial therapeutic areas of focus are viral diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. We believe that we are well-positioned to create shareholder value through our development activities given our ability to achieve clinical proof-of-concept relatively quickly and cost-effectively in these disease areas. The Company’s goal is to initiate clinical studies on three or more compounds this year. These compounds include RDEA806 and lead compounds from our 900 series, which are non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) for the treatment of HIV, and RDEA119, a mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Ardea’s goals, its plan to source development candidates, and its goal of initiating clinical studies on three or more compounds this year. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: risks related to the outcomes of preclinical and clinical trials, risks related to regulatory approvals, delays in commencement of preclinical and clinical tests, and costs associated with internal development and in-licensing activities. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Ardea’s most recently filed SEC documents, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings “Risk Factors.” All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Ardea undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
Ardea Biosciences, Inc.
CONTACT: Chris Krueger, Chief Business Officer of Ardea Biosciences, Inc.,+1-760-602-9406
Web site: http://www.ardeabiosciences.com/
