SALT LAKE CITY, May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing treatments for serious hematological diseases, today announced Robert Imani, M.D., Ph.D. has been appointed Vice President, Drug Development. In this role, Dr. Imani will lead all clinical development activities for alvocidib, the Company’s investigational inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) currently in Phase 2 development for myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) dependent relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
“Robert’s proven ability to develop and implement successful clinical development strategies for hematology and oncology candidates at various stages will be a significant asset as we continue to advance alvocidib through clinical development,” said David J. Bearss, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tolero Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Imani brings more than two decades of experience in clinical research and development, medical scientific affairs, and drug safety to Tolero. He has amassed his experience during roles at many notable industry leaders, including Senior Medical Director at Abbott Laboratories, Associate Medical Director at Forest Research Institute, a Subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc., Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and most recently as Executive Medical Director at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Amgen Inc.
“I am very pleased to join Tolero, and look forward to advancing the development of alvocidib as we strive to fill a significant unmet need for patients living with relapsed/refractory AML,” said Dr. Imani.
About Alvocidib
Alvocidib is an investigational agent which is a small molecule inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9). It is currently in development as part of combination therapy for frontline and relapsed/refractory AML. CDK9 is a protein critical to the regulation of gene expression, including the MCL1 gene and other important genes involved in cancer. Given the potential role CDK9 de-regulation plays in expression of cancer-associated genes related to cell division and proliferation, CDK9 is an attractive target for the treatment of various cancers.
About Tolero
Tolero Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company researching and developing treatments to improve and extend the lives of patients with oncological and hematological diseases. Our diverse pipeline targets important biological drivers of blood disorders to treat leukemias, anemia, and solid tumors, as well as targets of drug resistance and transcriptional control. Tolero is based in the United States and is wholly owned by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company based in Japan.
Additional information about the company and its product pipeline can be found at www.toleropharma.com.
About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is among the top-ten listed pharmaceutical companies in Japan operating globally in major pharmaceutical markets, including Japan, the United States, China and the European Union. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma aims to create innovative pharmaceutical products in the Psychiatry & Neurology area and the Oncology area, which have been designated as the focus therapeutic areas. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has about 6,500 employees worldwide. Additional information about Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is available through its corporate website at www.ds-pharma.com.
Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s assumptions and beliefs in light of information presently available, and involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Information concerning pharmaceuticals (including compounds under development) contained within this material is not intended as advertising or medical advice.
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SOURCE Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
