eFFECTOR Appoints Mike Byrnes as Chief Financial OfficerAlana McNulty, CFO since 2012, to serve as chief business officer

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc., a leader in the development of selective translation regulation inhibitors (STRIs) for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it has appointed Mike Byrnes as chief financial officer. In addition, the company announced that Alana McNulty, who has served as both chief financial officer and chief business officer since 2019, will remain in her role as chief business officer.

“With his extensive finance experience in biotechnology companies, Mike will be a great addition to our already strong management team, which, combined with our notable progress in advancing tomivosertib and zotatifin in oncology, position eFFECTOR for significant growth in the years ahead,” said Steve Worland, Ph.D., president and CEO of eFFECTOR. “Further, I am delighted that Alana will be fully focused on a role in which she has excelled, having shown tremendous business development acumen in negotiating our partnership for eIF4E with Pfizer, which has the potential to generate more than $500 million in total payments.”

Mike Byrnes previously was senior vice president of finance at Principia Biopharma, Inc. (PRNB), which was acquired by Sanofi in September 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Byrnes served as chief financial officer of Alkahest, Inc. from May 2018 to January 2020 and chief financial officer of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. (OCRX), from December 2014 until its acquisition by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in December 2017. Mr. Byrnes served as corporate controller of Maxygen, Inc. (MAXY) from March 2010 to December 2014 and prior to that, held finance positions of increasing responsibility from 2000 to 2010 with NeurogesX (NGSX), Inc., Lipid Sciences, Inc. (LIPD) and ADAC Laboratories, Inc. (ADAC). Mr. Byrnes received his B.S.C. in finance from Santa Clara University and an M.B.A. from California State University, Hayward.

“The team at eFFECTOR is absolutely devoted to following the science with its pipeline of novel drug candidates,” noted Mr. Byrnes. “I believe eFFECTOR is poised to usher in significant growth and improve the lives of patients dealing with devastating diseases like cancer. I’m excited to join eFFECTOR and look forward to delivering value to our many stakeholders.”

About eFFECTOR

eFFECTOR is a next-generation oncology company developing a new class of targeted therapies called selective translation regulator inhibitors (STRIs). Tomivosertib, eFFECTOR’s MNK1/2 inhibitor is expected to enter KICKSTART, a randomized Phase 2 trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with pembrolizumab, in Q1 2021. Zotatifin, eFFECTOR’s inhibitor of eIF4A, is in a dose-escalation Phase 1 trial, with expansion cohorts expected to open in H1 2021. eFFECTOR has a partnership with Pfizer developing inhibitors of eIF4E.

Contacts:
Investors:
Amy Conrad
Juniper Point
858-366-3243
amy@juniper-point.com

Media:
Heidi Chokeir, Ph.D.
Canale Communications
619-849-5377
heidi.chokeir@canalecomm.com


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