By Business Wire, March 06, 2013, 07:30:00 AM EDT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Verastem, Inc., (NASDAQ:VSTM) a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by
the targeted killing of cancer stem cells, announced the appointment of
Stephen Sherwin, M.D., to the Board of Directors.
"Steve has a wealth of biopharmaceutical and drug development
expertise," said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of
Verastem. "We have translated Dr. Bob Weinberg's pioneering cancer stem
cell research into clinical drug candidates, and Steve's insights and
guidance will be a key to our future success."
Verastem is currently conducting a Phase 1/2 trial of lead focal
adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor VS-6063 in combination with paclitaxel
for patients with ovarian cancer and is planning a potentially pivotal
trial in mesothelioma for midyear 2013.
"Verastem is well positioned to identify and develop novel agents for
the treatment of cancer through the targeting of cancer stem cells,"
said Dr. Sherwin. "Verastem's innovative approach to the treatment of
cancer has the potential to substantially improve patient outcomes. I am
excited to become a part of the Verastem team and have the opportunity
to contribute to the development of therapies for some of the most
difficult to treat cancers that confront us today."
Dr. Sherwin is Chairman of the Board and cofounder of Ceregene, Inc. and
a director of Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:BIIB), BioSante Pharmaceuticals
(NASDAQ:BPAX), Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ:NBIX), and Rigel
Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RIGL). He is also a member of the Board and
Chairman Emeritus of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and has
recently served on the President's Council of Advisors for Science and
Technology (PCAST) Working Group on Advancing Innovation in Drug
Development and Evaluation. Dr. Sherwin is a Clinical Professor of
Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a volunteer
Attending Physician in the Hematology/Oncology Division of San Francisco
General Hospital. Dr. Sherwin holds a B.A. in biology summa cum laude
from Yale University and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and is
board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. He is a
fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the
American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for
Cancer Research.
About Verastem, Inc.
Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by
the targeted killing of cancer
stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor
recurrence and metastasis. Verastem is developing small molecule
inhibitors of signaling pathways that are critical to cancer stem cell
survival and proliferation: FAK, PI3K/mTOR and Wnt. For more
information, please visit www.verastem.com.
Forward-looking statements:
This press release includes forward-looking statements about the
Company's strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements
regarding the development of the Company's compounds, including VS-6063,
and the Company's FAK and diagnostic programs generally, the timeline
for clinical development and regulatory approval of the Company's
compounds and the structure of the Company's planned clinical trials.
The words "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "estimate," "expect,"
"intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential,"
"will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," and similar expressions
are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Each
forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include
the risks that the preclinical testing of the Company's compounds may
not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, that the
Company will be unable to successfully complete the clinical development
of its compounds, including VS-6063, that the development of the
Company's compounds will take longer or cost more than planned, and that
the Company's compounds will not receive regulatory approval or become
commercially successful products. Other risks and uncertainties include
those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and in
any subsequent SEC filings. The forward-looking statements contained in
this presentation reflect the Company's current views with respect to
future events, and the Company does not undertake and specifically
disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Source: Verastem, Inc.