SAN DIEGO, May 24 /PRNewswire/-- OREXIGEN(TM) Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held clinical-stage neuroscience company leveraging CNS compounds for novel clinical applications, today announced that Graham Cooper has joined the company as chief financial officer. Mr. Cooper comes to OREXIGEN from Deutsche Bank Securities, where he was most recently director of health care investment banking, managing a wide variety of financings, and mergers and acquisitions. In his almost nine years with Deutsche Bank, Mr. Cooper worked on over 50 transactions totaling more than $11 billion in value, primarily in the life sciences field. The addition of a full-time CFO is a new position at OREXIGEN.
Gary Tollefson, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of OREXIGEN, noted: "This is an exciting time for OREXIGEN as we advance from a virtual operation into a 'brick and mortar presence.' This transition reflects our enthusiasm for our two lead programs in obesity, Contrave(TM) and Excalia(TM), which are presently in late-stage clinical development. Graham's extensive knowledge of the biopharmaceutical industry will be an excellent complement to our experienced senior management team and will be critical as we grow the company to the next stage. Graham has a tremendous breadth of life sciences financial experience, we are delighted to have him on board as our CFO."
OREXIGEN has been screening and developing rational drug combinations for obesity based on the company's proprietary knowledge of how the brain controls appetite and weight. Its goal is to create regimens that achieve and sustain weight loss by enhancing satiety, diminishing appetite, improving energy expenditure and minimizing the body's efforts to compensate for weight loss. The company's two lead programs, Contrave(TM) and Excalia(TM), are rationally formulated, proprietary combinations of marketed CNS products that have shown promising results in pilot clinical studies and now are being assessed in Phase II trials. In addition to its proprietary science, the company's approach is protected by broad patent filings around composition, use and formulation.
"After nearly a decade of assisting biopharmaceutical companies with strategic and financial transactions, my decision to join OREXIGEN reflects my enthusiasm for its proprietary approach to the obesity epidemic that is one of the pervasive health issues of our time," said Mr. Cooper. "The company has innovative technology, a cost-efficient - lower risk business model, and an experienced management team. I am looking forward enthusiastically to helping OREXIGEN achieve its clinical and commercial potential."
Earlier in his career, prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Cooper was as an investment banking analyst at Robertson, Stephens & Co. Previously, he worked as an accountant at Deloitte & Touche where he earned his CPA. Mr. Cooper received a bachelor's degree with highest distinction from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
More information about the company is available at www.orexigen.com Orexigen Therapeutics: Media Contact: Anthony McKinney Stephen Gendel COO GendeLLindheim BioCom Partners 858-480-2420 212-918-4650
OREXIGEN(TM) Therapeutics, Inc.CONTACT: Anthony McKinney, COO of Orexigen Therapeutics, +1-858-480-2420;or Stephen Gendel of GendeLLindheim BioCom Partners, +1-212-918-4650
Web site: http://www.orexigen.com//
