CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced the expansion of its clinical development team to manage the company's leading clinical programs, CEM-101 and TAKSTA (formerly CEM-102) through advanced clinical development. The four appointments, including Susan R. Moriarty, M.D. and Jennifer Schranz, M.D., have significant antibiotic clinical development experience.
TAKSTA is an innovative oral dosing regimen of sodium fusidate, employing a PK-PD-based proprietary dosing regimen, under development for gram-positive infections including drug-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). TAKSTA has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 trial and is preparing for Phase 3 studies in the U.S. for acute bacterial skin structure infections.
Jennifer Schranz, M.D., vice president, clinical affairs, will help lead the clinical development of both CEM-101 and TAKSTA. Dr. Schranz's career spans 15 years in clinical research and medical affairs in the pharmaceutical industry. She has held leadership positions of increasing responsibility in clinical research and/or global medical affairs at Merck & Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Vicuron and Wyeth/Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Schranz has worked on many anti-infective clinical and commercial development programs including CRIXIVAN, PRIMAXIN, CEFOXITIN, INVANZ, AUGMENTIN XR, ERAXIS, CANCIDAS, PREVENAR and PREVENAR 13.
Dr. Schranz and Dr. Moriarty will be working with Carl Craft, M.D., a founding member of Cempra's Scientific Advisory Board who has assumed the role of consulting head of medical affairs at Cempra.
Kay Clark, senior study manager for Cempra, added, "The expansion of the Clinical Study Manager Group will allow Cempra to manage every aspect of the studies closely."
Cempra is also announcing that J. Gordon Still, M.D., Ph.D., has resigned as chief medical officer and will serve as a consultant to the company.
Cempra Pharmaceuticals
