Cardiff Oncology, Inc. today announced the appointments of Tod Smeal, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer (CSO) and Charles Monahan, RPh, as senior vice president, regulatory affairs.
- Dr. Smeal has over 20 years of industry experience developing targeted therapies and previously served as CSO of Cancer Biology at Eli Lilly and Company, and director of Pfizer Oncology Research Unit
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| [11-January-2022] |
| SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardiff Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRDF), a clinical-stage oncology company, developing new precision medicine treatment options for cancer patients in indications with the greatest unmet medical need including KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and castrate-resistant prostate cancer, today announced the appointments of Tod Smeal, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer (CSO) and Charles Monahan, RPh, as senior vice president, regulatory affairs.
“We are excited to welcome Tod and Charles to Cardiff Oncology as we approach key inflection points in onvansertib’s development,” said Mark Erlander, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Cardiff Oncology. “Tod has a wealth of expertise and experience bringing targeted, first-of-their-kind cancer therapeutics from preclinical development to launch, and Charles brings a valuable perspective on regulatory pathways to approval of novel cancer drugs through his vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry. We’re grateful to have their deep understanding of the oncology landscape in which we intend to advance onvansertib, so that we can maximize its success as we work to improve treatment options and outcomes for patients with historically difficult-to-treat cancers.” Dr. Smeal added, “Onvansertib’s ability to sensitize cancer cells to currently available therapeutic agents give this versatile molecule immense potential to close gaps in a wide range of oncology treatment regimens. I am eager to begin working to advance Cardiff Oncology’s clinical pipeline and look forward to leading our efforts to enable its expansion into additional indications.” Mr. Monahan commented, “Cardiff Oncology’s robust clinical dataset demonstrates the potential of onvansertib in combination with standard-of-care therapy to add significant clinical benefit across a number of cancer indications. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead our efforts through the regulatory process and will work with my new colleagues to advance onvansertib towards registration as expeditiously as possible.” Appointee Bios Dr. Smeal joins Cardiff Oncology following roles as chief scientific officer at Hexagon Bio, chief scientific officer of Cancer Biology at Eli Lilly and Company, director of the Oncology Research Unit of Pfizer, and senior group leader at the SUGEN site of Pharmacia and Upjohn and SUGEN. With over 20 years in industry working on targeted therapies, Dr. Smeal has played key leadership roles in delivering about 20 first-in-human drugs/new medical entities and several FDA-approved or soon-to-be approved drugs, including Lorbrena, Xalkori, Vizimpro and Nirogacestat. Dr. Smeal’s work in developing cancer therapies has been focused on intracellular signaling, kinases, drug pharmacology, and targeted therapies and their resistance mechanisms. Prior to his career in industry, Dr. Smeal was a post-doctoral fellow of the American Cancer Society and a senior post-doctoral fellow of the MIT-Merck fellowship program. Dr. Smeal holds a B.S. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Mr. Monahan joins Cardiff Oncology following a role as the global head of regulatory affairs for Erytech PharmaSA, where he led the regulatory strategy and execution of the company’s lead asset across multiple oncology indications in both the United States and Europe. Prior to Erytech, Mr. Monahan held senior regulatory positions at several pharmaceutical companies including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, AVEO Pharmaceuticals, and Transgene SA. In these roles, he worked on projects covering all stages of drug development, from preclinical through post-commercialization. Mr. Monahan is a registered pharmacist with extensive experience in clinical pharmacy, healthcare management, and pharmaceutical development and has over 20 years of regulatory experience developing drugs and biologics for oncology, infectious diseases, and ocular indications. He holds a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island and a M.S. in regulatory affairs and health policy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) In connection with Dr. Smeal joining Cardiff Oncology, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the grant of non-qualified stock options to purchase 275,088 shares of Cardiff Oncology common stock outside of the Cardiff Oncology 2021 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. The stock option was granted as an inducement material to Dr. Smeal becoming an employee of Cardiff Oncology in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The option was granted as of January 10, 2022, and has an exercise price of $6.58 per share, the closing price on the grant date. The option vests over four years with 25% vesting after 12 months and the remaining shares vesting monthly over the following 36-months, subject to Dr. Smeal’s continued employment with Cardiff Oncology on such vesting dates. About Cardiff Oncology, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements Cardiff Oncology Contact: Investor Contact: Media Contact:
SOURCE Cardiff Oncology, Inc. | ||
Company Codes: NASDAQ-NMS:CRDF |
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