NEW HAVEN, Conn, Aug. 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melinta Therapeutics today announced the appointment of Christopher Kiritsy to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Kiritsy is currently president, chief executive officer and director of Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company he co-founded. Mr. Kiritsy also currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of Avaxia Biologics, a private biotechnology company developing orally administered, minimally absorbed antibody therapeutics for gastrointestinal disorders. Mr. Kiritsy has over two decades of business and technical experience from senior management positions in corporate management, finance, research and development, and business development.
Mary Szela , Melinta's president and chief executive officer, commented, "Melinta's evolution to a commercial-stage company from a primarily research-oriented organization is a transition with which Chris is very familiar. His expertise in leading successful biotechnology companies, his financial acumen and business development skills will be valuable additions to the Melinta Board. Speaking for the entire team, we look forward to working together to bring our lead candidate, delafloxacin , through its three ongoing Phase 3 studies, and further advance Melinta's pipeline and brand."
Under Mr. Kiritsy's leadership, Arisaph has evolved into a clinical development enterprise with a rich research pipeline. His accomplishments include negotiation of multiple business development transactions, which raised approximately $60 million of non-dilutive capital and receipt of a $3 million award from the U.S. government's Therapeutics Discovery Project Program. Prior to Arisaph, Mr. Kiritsy served as executive vice president, corporate development and chief financial officer of Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he executed Kos' IPO, raised approximately $500 million in public equity, and spearheaded more than 10 major corporate development transactions. Prior to Kos, Mr. Kiritsy served as associate director of product development at the Institute of Molecular Biology, a private biotechnology company, where he co-authored several scientific publications. Mr. Kiritsy received a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in biology and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University.
About Melinta Therapeutics
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. is dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of groundbreaking antibiotics to overcome drug-resistant, life-threatening infections. The need for new therapies for drug-resistant infections is widely recognized as one of the most serious public health issues facing the world today. To meet this need, Melinta Therapeutics is rapidly progressing its late-stage investigational antibiotic, delafloxacin, which is currently in Phase 3 development for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and uncomplicated gonorrhea. Delafloxacin has been designated a qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) for both ABSSSI, uncomplicated gonorrhea and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A key initiative at Melinta is to develop, through the application of Nobel Prize-winning science, a new class of antibiotics designed to overcome the drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens known to cause serious hospital infections. Melinta Therapeutics is privately held and backed by lead investor Vatera Healthcare Partners among other private investors. The company is headquartered in New Haven, CT with offices in Lincolnshire, IL.
For more information, visit www.melinta.com .
Melinta Therapeutics Kathy Powell 312-724-9400 Media Contact Aline Schimmel 312-238-8957
