SAN DIEGO, March 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pfenex Inc. (NYSE:PFNX), a clinical-stage development and licensing biotechnology company focused on leveraging its Pfēnex Expression Technology® to improve protein therapies for unmet patient needs, today announced the appointment of Martin B. Brenner, DVM, Ph.D., as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), effective immediately.
"We are pleased to have Dr. Brenner join the Pfenex team at such an important time in the Company's history. We believe we have a clear path in place for our four key programs and that it is an opportune time to explore new pipeline and technology opportunities that further leverage our Pfēnex Expression Technology. Martin's experience identifying active modalities and therapies will make him a valuable new member of our executive team as we look to create value for our shareholders via new pipeline candidates," said Eef Schimmelpennink, Chief Executive Officer of Pfenex.
"Pfenex and its partners have continued to advance a broad range of therapeutic candidates, from peptides to large, complex proteins developed and produced through the Pfēnex Expression Technology. Considering the pipeline of Pfenex's key programs, including its programs that are currently in late-stage development, I believe that the Company's technology platform offers an opportunity to identify and develop additional candidates in-house or through partnerships," stated Dr. Brenner.
Dr. Brenner has led a successful career heading drug discovery and development teams at several of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Merck. Most recently, Dr. Brenner served as the CSO at Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on accelerating drug discovery for rare diseases and diseases with high unmet medical need. Prior to his time at Recursion, he was Vice President and Head of Research & Early Development at Stoke Therapeutics, a biotechnology company using antisense oligonucleotides to increase gene expression for the treatment of rare diseases. In addition, Dr. Brenner was the Senior Director and Head of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism (CVRM) biosciences at AstraZeneca, during which time he developed a new research strategy and reorganized the departments into lean and agile teams. Dr. Brenner was an Associate Research Fellow at Pfizer where he led the Islet Biology and In Vivo Pharmacology in the CVMED Target Exploration Unit prior to his decision to refocus the teams on diabetes prevention and remission. He was also Executive Director at Merck where he built a biotech unit from scratch focusing his research on Diabetes, NASH and Diabetic Complications. Dr. Brenner earned his DVM at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany and his Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the Veterinary School of Hannover in Hannover, Germany.
About Pfenex Inc.
We are a clinical-stage development and licensing biotechnology company focused on leveraging our Pfēnex Expression Technology® to develop and improve protein therapies for unmet patient needs. Using the patented Pfēnex Expression Technology platform, we have created an advanced pipeline of therapeutic equivalents, vaccines, biologics and biosimilars. The Company also uses its Pfēnex Expression Technology platform to produce CRM197, a diphtheria toxoid carrier protein used in prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Our lead product candidates are PF708, a therapeutic equivalent candidate to Forteo® (teriparatide) for the treatment of osteoporosis, and our novel anthrax vaccine candidates, Px563L and RPA563, funded through an advanced development contract with the U.S. government. In addition, we are developing hematology/oncology products, including PF743, a recombinant crisantaspase, and PF745, a recombinant crisantaspase with half-life extension technology, in collaboration with Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement –
Company Contact:
Susan A. Knudson
Chief Financial Officer
(858) 352-4324
[email protected]
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