ZIOPHARM Announces Caesar J. Belbel, Chief Legal Officer, Appointed COO

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.

, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, today announced that Caesar J. Belbel, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, has been appointed to the added role of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. "Caesar has been an integral part of the ZIOPHARM senior management team through the Company's evolution into a leading developer of next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics," said Laurence J. N. Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ZIOPHARM. "He has the experience and expertise, developed over a 30 year career in advising and building emerging companies, to help ZIOPHARM prosper in its next phase of development. We expect that his leadership, corporate development and transactional experience will continue to add significant value to the Company as he takes on the responsibilities of this new role." Mr. Belbel joined ZIOPHRARM Oncology in September 2011 as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Prior to joining ZIOPHARM, from 2003 to 2011, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Clinical Data, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company which was acquired in April 2011 by Forest Laboratories, Inc. At Clinical Data, Mr. Belbel led