IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board to advise the Company on its numerous development programs in oncology and other unmet medical needs. Rejoining Spectrum’s Scientific Advisory Board are Dr. Enrico Mihich, Dr. Herbert M. Pinedo and Dr. Hagop Kantarjian. Joining their distinguished colleagues for the first time are Dr. Kenneth A. Foon, Dr. Anthony Tolcher and Dr. Daniel D. Van Hoff.
“We recognize the importance of having leading experts in cancer research on our team as we move our drugs through clinical development towards marketing,” stated Rajesh C. Shrotriya, M.D., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. “The intricacies of establishing successful drug acquisition and development activities are best created by those who have the experience and knowledge of working closely with the actual patients themselves, understand their medical needs and are thought leaders in the field. Even the FDA depends on the advice of such experts. Such advice and counsel will be invaluable to us as we move our drugs closer to regulatory and marketing approval.”
Biographies for the Scientific Advisory Board Kenneth A. Foon, M.D. The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Pittsburgh, PA
Dr. Foon is the Director of Clinical Investigations and the Co-Director of the Biological Therapeutics and Hematologic Malignancies Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and is a Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine. Dr. Foon has served on the editorial boards of sixteen scientific journals and has over 300 publications on his own work.
Hagop Kantarjian, M.D.
The MD Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, TX
Dr. Kantarjian is the Chairman of the Leukemia Department and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Kantarjian has served on the editorial boards of ten prestigious scientific journals and has published more than 400 papers in scientific journals.
Enrico Mihich, M.D.
Grace Cancer Drug Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
Dr. Mihich is Distinguished Member of Experimental Therapeutics at the Grace Cancer Drug Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Professor and Chairman of Molecular Pharmacology at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Mihich has been affiliated with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute since 1957 and prior to his current position was Director of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics and of the Grace Cancer Drug Center for 30 years. He is a past President of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board. Dr. Mihich has served on the editorial boards of sixteen scientific journals and has published is own work in more than 130 articles.
Herbert M. Pinedo, M.D., Ph.D.
University Hospital Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dr. Pinedo is currently Professor of Medical Oncology at Free University in Amsterdam and advisor to the Board of the VuMC Cancer Center Amsterdam. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of the Dutch Medical Research Council. Dr. Pinedo is founder and past Director of the New Drug Development Office in Amsterdam, past Chairman of the Early Clinical Trial Group of the EORTC, and past President of the European Society of Medical Oncology. Dr. Pinedo has served on the boards of more than twenty scientific journals and has had more than 600 of his own articles published.
Anthony Tolcher, M.D.
The Institute for Drug Development, San Antonio, TX
Dr. Tolcher is the Director of Clinical Research at the John E. Freeman, M.D. Chair for Clinical Research at the Institute for Drug Development Cancer Therapy & Research Center. Dr. Tolcher is currently the Chairman of the San Antonio Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics Committee and has served as Chief of Medical Staff for the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. Dr Tolcher has received numerous awards in the areas of cancer research, served as principle investigator on more than forty clinical trials and has published his own work in more than 100 articles.
Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D. Translational Genomics Research Institute, Translational Drug Development Division Phoenix, AZ
Dr. Von Hoff, M.D., is the past President of the American Association for Cancer Research, (AACR), a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member and past board member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He is a founder of ILEX(TM) Oncology, Inc. (recently acquired by Genzyme).
He is currently Senior Investigator and Head of Translational Research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute’s (TGen) Translational Drug Development Division and Head, Pancreatic Cancer Research Program in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology.
Dr. Von Hoff’s major interest is in the development of new anticancer agents, both in the clinic and in the laboratory. He and his colleagues were involved in the beginning of the development of many of the agents we now use routinely, including: mitoxantrone, fludarabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, CPT-11, and others. At present, he and his colleagues are concentrating on the development of molecularly targeted therapies.
Dr. Von Hoff was appointed to President Bush’s National Cancer Advisory Board in June 2004 and will serve until March 2010.
About Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the business of acquiring, developing and commercializing prescription drug products for the treatment of cancer and other unmet medical needs. By leveraging its operational flexibility and regulatory proficiency, and using the extensive research and development capabilities of its strategic alliance partners, Spectrum has built a diversified portfolio of proprietary and generic drug products in various stages of development and regulatory approval. For more information, please visit our website at www.spectrumpharm.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include but are not limited to statements that relate to our business and its future, the Company’s operational flexibility and regulatory proficiency, the extensive research and development capabilities of the Company’s strategic alliance partners, the value that the scientific board members will provide to the Company, that we will move our drugs closer to regulatory and marketing approval and any statements that relate to the intent, belief, plans or expectations of Spectrum or its management, or that are not a statement of historical fact. Risks that could cause actual results to differ include the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, may not prove safe or effective, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates may not receive approval from the FDA, and other regulatory agencies in a timely manner or at all, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, if approved, may not be more effective, safer or more cost efficient than competing drugs, the possibility that price and other competitive pressures may make the marketing and sale of our generic drugs not commercially feasible, the possibility that our efforts to acquire or in- license and develop additional drug candidates may fail, our lack of revenues, our limited experience in establishing strategic alliances, our limited marketing experience, our limited experience with the generic drug industry, our dependence on third parties for clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and quality control and other risks that are described in further detail in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: Laurie Little Sr. Director, Investor Relations (949) 743-9216
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Laurie Little, Sr. Director, Investor Relations of SpectrumPharmaceuticals, +1-949-743-9216
Web site: http://www.spectrumpharm.com//
