Andrew Sandler, MD as Chief Medical Officer; More Than 10 Years of Oncology Clinical Development and Medical Affairs Experience; Development of ZEVALIN®, CAMPATH®, LEUKINE®, and NEXAVAR®
Michael Adam, PhD as Sr. Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations; More Than 23 Years of Pharmaceutical Development and Drug Manufacturing Experience
Amar Singh MBA, as Chief Commercial Officer; More Than 25 Years Drug Marketing and Launch Experience; Launched XELODA®, KYTRIL®, ABRAXANE® and Others
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGM: SPPI) today announced the appointment of key executive management personnel as the company continues to transform into a commercial organization. Spectrum Pharmaceutical’s highest priority programs for this year are: FUSILEV™ (levoleucovorin for Injection); ZEVALIN® (ibritumomab tiuxetan); and Apaziquone.
“To maximize the value of our near-term opportunities with FUSILEV, ZEVALIN and Apaziquone, we have strengthened our management team with the additions of three key industry veterans, all of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and hands-on relevant experience to the Spectrum team,” said Rajesh C. Shrotriya, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. “We look forward to leveraging both Dr. Sandler’s experience with ZEVALIN and his experience in a variety of hematologic/oncologic disease states with several types of technologic platforms, Dr. Adam’s knowledge of pharmaceutical development and regulatory activities, and Mr. Singh’s operational expertise as we focus on increasing sales of FUSILEV and ZEVALIN. Completing enrollment in the Phase 3 trials of Apaziquone and securing a partner in Japan and Asia remain of our key priorities and goals.”
Andrew Sandler, MD, comes to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals as the Company’s new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Sandler is responsible for all medical affairs, regulatory, and clinical operations for the Company’s portfolio of drug candidates. Dr. Sandler has a broad-based experience in Phase I, I/II, II, III, IIIb, IV and all post-marketing studies and activities. He was also responsible for the global medical development and launch activities of CAMPATH® in first-line CLL, FLUDARA®, LEUKINE®, NEXAVAR® in HCC, and ZEVALIN®. Dr. Sandler was most recently the Vice President and head of Global Medical Affairs in the Oncology division of Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. At Bayer, he supervised all commercial input into clinical development plans, and provided strategic direction to all of Bayer’s marketed, pre-launch, and immediate post-launch products. From 2003-2006, Dr. Sandler was at Berlex Oncology, most recently as the Head of Global Medical Affairs, where he led and contributed to the development of lifecycle management plans, provision of continuous risk/benefit assessment, support in the Labeling and Protocol review process and, initiation, planning and approval of studies. From 1999-2003, Dr. Sandler was the Director of Clinical Development for Seattle Genetics, where he oversaw the strategic planning and clinical operations of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies, and participated in two IND submissions. Dr. Sandler received his BS in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester in New York, his MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, his internship, residency, and chief residency at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and his Fellowship in Medical Oncology from the University of California-San Francisco.
Michael Adam, PhD, has joined Spectrum Pharmaceuticals as Sr. Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations. Dr. Adam has 23 years drug development experience. He was most recently the Senior Vice President, Drug Development Operations at Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He had primary responsibility for regulatory affairs, quality assurance, pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and project management. Prior to Anadys, Dr. Adam was Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Global Research & Development division of Pfizer, Inc. At Pfizer he led the La Jolla, California organization responsible for chemical, analytical and pharmaceutical development from compound identification through launch and product enhancement. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Adam was Vice President, of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance and Compliance at Agouron Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Agouron, Dr. Adam was the Director of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, CMC Group, at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he managed Regulatory CMC projects in CNS and CV/MD therapeutic areas. Dr. Adam earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Adam also holds an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at CONNECT helping pharmaceutical/biotech start-ups.
Amar Singh has joined Spectrum Pharmaceuticals as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Singh is responsible for aspects of sales and marketing, business development, and investor and public relations. Mr. Singh has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with increasing responsibilities throughout his career. Mr. Singh was most recently the Chief Commercial Officer for Novacea, where he was responsible for commercialization and business development. Prior to Novacea, Mr. Singh served as Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Abraxis Oncology, a proprietary division of American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc., where he was responsible for building the branded division that launched Abraxane. Mr. Singh served in multiple capacities at Roche Laboratories, a Division of Hoffmann La Roche, where he held positions in Market Research, Licensing and Business Development, New Product Planning, and Marketing. From 2000 to 2003, he was Executive Director for Oncology Marketing and subsequently for New Product planning for the Specialty Care business, where he led the launches of XELODA®, a novel oral chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and KYTRIL®, an anti-nausea agent used in combination with oncolytics. Mr. Singh holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and an MBA from New York University.
These appointments follow the retirement of Gino Lenaz, MD, our Chief Scientific Officer, and Dr. Ashok Gore, our Sr. Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations and Regulatory Compliance. Both Dr. Lenaz and Dr. Gore continue to serve the Company in a consultant role.
About Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
Spectrum is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of drug products, with a focus mainly on oncology and urology. Spectrum’s strategy is comprised of acquiring and developing a broad and diverse pipeline of late-stage clinical and commercial products; establishing a commercial organization for our approved drugs; continuing to build a team with people who have demonstrated skills, passion, commitment and have a track record of success in developing drugs and commercialization in our areas of focus; and, leveraging the expertise of partners around the world to assist us in the execution of our strategy. For more information, please visit Spectrum’s website at http://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 Spectrum’s business and its future, that we will increase sales of FUSILEV, and ZEVALIN, that we will complete enrollment of Phase 3 trials and secure a partner with Japan and Asia for Apaziquone, 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 Spectrum’s existing and new drug candidates, may not prove safe or effective, the possibility that its 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 its existing and new drug candidates, if approved, may not be more effective, safer or more cost efficient than competing drugs, the possibility that its efforts to acquire or in-license and develop additional drug candidates may fail, its lack of revenues, its limited marketing experience, its dependence on third parties for clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and quality control and other risks that are described in further detail in Spectrum’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Spectrum does not plan to update any such forward-looking statements and expressly disclaim any duty to update the information contained in this press release except as required by law.
SPECTRUM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.® is a registered trademark of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. TURNING INSIGHTS INTO HOPE(TM), FUSILEV™ and the Spectrum Pharmaceutical logos are trademarks owned by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ZEVALIN® is a registered trademark of RIT Oncology LLC, and RIT and RIT Oncology are trademarks owned by RIT Oncology, LLC.
