SAN DIEGO, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix, today announced the appointment of Patrick O’Connor, PhD, Vice President, Research, Michael J. LaBarre, PhD, Vice President, Product Development, and James E. Cartoni, Vice President, Legal.
“Halozyme is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining world- class talent. We are delighted that seasoned executives such as Patrick, Michael, and Jim have joined the team. Successfully recruiting executives of this caliber underscores our commitment to finding exceptional talent, and also reflects the high level of excitement Halozyme is generating in the biotech industry,” said Jonathan Lim, MD, President and CEO of Halozyme Therapeutics. “Their broad collective experience in drug development, formulation, analytical methodology, manufacturing, and the legal aspects of biotechnology brings further breadth and depth to our leadership team. All three executives will work closely with our senior management to enable Halozyme to achieve its business objectives.”
Patrick O’Connor’s responsibilities will include leadership of Halozyme’s multiple biology and chemistry research programs. Dr. O’Connor joins Halozyme from Ardea Biosciences where he was Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to joining Ardea, Dr. O’Connor served in various executive research positions at Pfizer Global Research & Development and Agouron Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer, Inc.) from 1998 to 2007. His last position with Pfizer as Vice President, Research Therapeutic Area Head, Global Oncology, included responsibility for setting the overall global oncology research strategy and overseeing all aspects of oncology research. While at Pfizer, Dr. O’Connor also built and oversaw the diabetes and obesity research groups at the La Jolla campus. His managerial duties encompassed the generation of new drug targets, the selection of development candidates, and strategic and scientific support for Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies. Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. O’Connor served as a Fogarty Fellow at The National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland from 1988 to 1998. He is on the Editorial Board of Cancer Research and is a member of numerous scientific and medical professional organizations. Dr. O’Connor received his BSc degree in Pharmacology from Bradford University, England, and his PhD in Experimental Oncology Therapeutics from Manchester University, England.
Michael J. LaBarre will oversee all of Halozyme’s product development efforts, bringing strong experience in chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) based on his extensive experience in the biotechnology industry for both biologics and small molecules. In his previous role as Vice President of Product Development at Paramount BioSciences, LLC, Dr. LaBarre led the CMC efforts for all of the product development programs within Paramount’s portfolio. Prior to joining Paramount, Dr. LaBarre served in various research and development positions at Biogen Idec (previously IDEC) from 1995 to 2006 where he had responsibility for analytical and formulation development, protein purification, and biochemical characterization supporting numerous IND and BLA submissions, including those for Rituxan(R) and Zevalin(R). His last position with Biogen Idec was Director of Analytical and Protein Biochemistry. Prior to IDEC, Dr. LaBarre spent two years at Vical, Inc. in the analytical methods development group. He began his career at Hybritech where he held positions in regulatory affairs and manufacturing technical support, focusing on radiolabeled antibody technologies and analytical chemistry. Dr. LaBarre received his BS degree in Chemistry from Southampton College and his PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry from the University of Arizona.
James E. Cartoni will oversee various legal matters, including the negotiation and completion of agreements, corporate governance matters, securities compliance, and the coordination and management of outside legal counsel. Prior to joining Halozyme, Mr. Cartoni was a partner at DLA Piper, the world’s largest law firm, where he represented numerous public and private companies in areas such as financing transactions, corporate compliance, mergers & acquisitions and general business matters. DLA Piper is Halozyme’s primary outside corporate counsel and Mr. Cartoni has represented Halozyme since 2004. Mr. Cartoni also served as the Co-Chair of the Legal and Finance Committee for the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mr. Cartoni obtained his BA degree in Political Science from Occidental College and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California -- Hastings College of the Law in 1998.
About Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc.
Halozyme is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the drug delivery, metabolism, oncology, and dermatology markets. The company’s portfolio of products and product candidates is based on intellectual property covering the family of human enzymes known as hyaluronidases. The company’s Enhanze(TM) Technology is a novel drug delivery platform designed to increase the absorption and dispersion of biologics. Its key partnerships are with Roche to apply Enhanze Technology to Roche’s biological therapeutic compounds for up to 13 targets and with Baxter to apply Enhanze Technology to Baxter’s biological therapeutic compound, GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10%. In addition, the company has received FDA approval for two products: Cumulase(R), for use in in-vitro fertilization, and HYLENEX, for use as an adjuvant to increase the absorption and dispersion of other injected drugs and fluids. HYLENEX is partnered with Baxter International Inc. Halozyme also has a number of different enzymes in its portfolio that target significant areas of unmet medical need. For more information visit http://www.halozyme.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
In addition to historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, statements concerning the expected roles and responsibilities of management) that involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are also identified through use of the words “believe,” “enable,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intends,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “predict,” “probable,” “potential,” “possible,” “should,” “continue,” and other words of similar meaning. Actual results could differ materially from the expectations contained in forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including regulatory approval requirements and competitive conditions. These and other factors that may result in differences are discussed in greater detail in the company’s reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Robert H. Uhl, Senior Director, Investor Relations of Halozyme
Therapeutics, Inc., +1-858-704-8264, ruhl@halozyme.com; or Karen Sparks,
+1-858-455-5500, ext. 275, karen@mentus.com, or Joleen Schultz,
+1-858-455-5500, ext. 215, jschultz@mentus.com, both of Mentus for Halozyme
Therapeutics, Inc.
Web site: http://www.halozyme.com/
