CORAL GABLES, Fla., Aug. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Catalyst) (Nasdaq: CPRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating, chronic neuromuscular and neurological diseases, today announced the appointment of Stanley Iyadurai, M.D., Ph.D. as Vice President of Clinical Development. Dr. Iyadurai will be responsible for leading Catalyst’s clinical development efforts including directing, planning, and executing clinical activities and analyzing and interpreting clinical trial results. Dr. Iyadurai will be reporting to Dr. Gary Ingenito, Catalyst’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Regulatory Affairs.

“We are pleased to welcome Stanley to the Catalyst team. His extensive background in clinical research will be of significant value to us in supporting our clinical development activities,” said Patrick J. McEnany, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals. “Stanley’s deep expertise with neuromuscular disorders will also be an asset to our ongoing clinical trials and the continued development of Firdapse® for additional potential indications.”

“I am delighted to join Catalyst at such a pivotal time in the company’s history, and I look forward to working with the leadership team to accelerate and expand clinical activities,” said Dr. Iyadurai. “I am excited to become an integral part of Catalyst’s commitment to advance its research and development activities further into debilitating neuromuscular diseases. I look forward to integrating my clinical experience and the neuromuscular physician network to further Catalyst’s research.”

Dr. Iyadurai most recently served as Global Clinical Program Director, Clinical Research and Development, at CSL Behring, where he was responsible for managing/directing global neurology/immunology late-phase studies. Previously, Dr. Iyadurai was a full-time faculty member at the Ohio State University Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Pediatric Neurology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and at Saint Louis University in the Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics and Pathology, where he focused on neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Iyadurai also served as the Director of the Neuromuscular Genetics Clinic at the Ohio State University. Dr. Iyadurai has experience in clinical research and clinical trial experience as either the Principal Investigator or one of the sub-Investigators in more than 40 clinical trials and has published multiple research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Iyadurai received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota.

About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating, chronic neuromuscular and neurological diseases, including Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), MuSK antibody positive myasthenia gravis, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3. Firdapse® (amifampridine phosphate) has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of LEMS and Orphan Drug Designation for LEMS, CMS and myasthenia gravis. Firdapse is the first and only approved drug in Europe for symptomatic treatment in adults with LEMS.

Catalyst is also developing CPP-115 to treat refractory infantile spasms. CPP-115 has been granted U.S. Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of infantile spasms by the FDA and has been granted E.U. Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for the treatment of West syndrome by the European Commission. In addition, Catalyst is developing a generic version of Sabril® (vigabatrin).

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Catalyst's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. A number of factors, including (i) whether Firdapse will ever be approved for commercialization, (ii) whether, even if Firdapse is approved for commercialization, Catalyst will be successful in commercializing Firdapse, (iii) whether Catalyst will be the first company to receive an approval for amifampridine (3,4-DAP), giving it 5-year marketing exclusivity for its product, and (iv) those other factors described in Catalyst's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2017 and its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Catalyst. Copies of Catalyst's filings with the SEC are available from the SEC, may be found on Catalyst's website, or may be obtained upon request from Catalyst. Catalyst does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.

Investor Contact Brian Korb Solebury Trout (646) 378-2923 Company Contact Patrick J. McEnany Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer (305) 420-3200 Media Contact David Schull Russo Partners (212) 845-4271