MISSION VIEJO, CA--(Marketwired - May 17, 2013) - Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (
"We are pleased to announce the addition of John, Mitch and Jeffrey to the board of directors," stated David Cavalier, Chairman of the board of directors. "John brings over 14 years of experience in working with the US Government in public health preparedness, and will contribute significantly to our medical countermeasure development programs. Mitch's experience in business development and financing biotech companies will be invaluable as we begin to generate efficacy data from our animal efficacy and cancer studies. Jeffrey's experience as an oncologist, drug developer and senior executive in one of the leading pharmaceutical distribution companies will be invaluable as we begin to move forward with our AEOL 10150 oncology development program and begin to formulate our strategies for making our compound available in the most efficient and effective way for biodefense purposes. We also thank Joe Krivulka, Michael Lewis and Peter Suzdak, for their dedication and service to the board and shareholders of Aeolus over the past 8 years. Each of them made important contributions to Aeolus that have helped position us for the next stage of our growth."
"Having the government contracting, business development and oncology expertise that John, Mitch, and Jeffrey possess, will be critical assets to the Company, as we transition from the manufacturing and animal model development that characterized the first two years of our BARDA contract, to animal efficacy, human safety studies and ultimately procurement of AEOL 10150," stated John L. McManus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aeolus Pharmaceuticals.
John M. Clerici is a founding Principal of Tiber Creek Partners, LLC, a company focused on providing scientific and business counseling to biotechnology companies seeking to use non-dilutive capital from the U.S. and foreign governments and from non-governmental organizations. Mr. Clerici is also a Partner in the government contracts practice at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. For over 14 years, Mr. Clerici has been at the forefront of the creation of the public health preparedness sector, including helping large pharmaceutical and emerging biotechnology companies develop creative approaches to access non-dilutive capital to fund the development of biotechnology for emerging disease and engineered threats. Since 1999, Mr. Clerici has assisted over three dozen companies in obtaining nearly $4 billion in funding for research, development and procurement of public health countermeasures from the Federal government, which includes the majority of the awards made under Project Bioshield, the U.S. Government's initiative for preparing the United States against a bioterrorist attack. Prior to joining McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Mr. Clerici was a judge advocate with the U.S. Air Force where, among other assignments, he advised the Air Force Research Laboratory on the procurement of technology from research institutions throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Clerici earned his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. He did his undergraduate work at the Catholic University of America, graduating summa cum laude.
Mitchell D. Kaye, J.D., is the Founder of MedClaims Liaison, LLC and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since 2009. MedClaims is a consumer advocacy business, which works on behalf of families in managing reimbursement disputes with medical providers and insurance companies. From 2008-2010, Mr. Kaye was a Managing Director with Navigant Capital Advisors, a financial and strategic advisory services firm, and Head of Navigant's Financial Institutions Restructuring Solutions Team (FIRST). While at Navigant, Mr. Kaye led numerous high profile engagements on behalf of investment funds and investors. Previously, as a successful entrepreneur in the asset management industry, Mr. Kaye launched two highly profitable asset management companies. Mr. Kaye was the founding member of Xmark Opportunity Partners, LLC, an investment fund exclusively focused on investments in publicly traded life sciences companies, and has served as a member of the management committee since 2001. In 1996, Mr. Kaye began his career as a founding member of Brown Simpson Asset Management, LLC (Brown Simpson), an investment fund that was at the foreground of private placement investing in the public markets. Brown Simpson's life sciences investment unit produced a value weighted cash-on-cash return in excess of 100% during the life of the fund. During his career, Mr. Kaye has consummated over 100 transactions as a lead investor, structured over a billion dollars in debt and equity-linked transactions, and taken an active role in the management of numerous portfolio companies. Mr. Kaye has served on the boards of several private and public companies, and also served on the board of the New York Alzheimer's Association. Mr. Kaye received his BA from Wesleyan University, and his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law.
Jeffrey A. Scott, M.D., whose specialty is oncology, currently is General Manager/Senior Vice President for P4 Healthcare, a division of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, which is a division of Cardinal Health. He is also a member of Cardinal Health's Operating Committee. Prior to the 2010 sale of P4 Healthcare to Cardinal Health, Dr. Scott was the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of P4 Healthcare, since its inception in 2006. P4 Healthcare was a multimedia Healthcare Marketing and Education Company with a focus in Oncology. From 1998 to 2002, Dr. Scott served as the National Medical Director and President of the International Oncology Network (ION), a network of more than 4,000 U.S. private practice oncologists headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2002, ION became a subsidiary of Amerisource Bergen Corporation upon its sale. Dr. Scott continued to serve as President and General Manager for ION until 2005. Dr. Scott was a practicing physician, Founding Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Georgia Cancer Specialists located in Atlanta, Georgia from 1990 to 2000. During Dr. Scott's tenure as Chief Financial Officer of Georgia Cancer Specialists, the physician practice had over $100 million in revenue and Dr. Scott was responsible for development of financial programs of practice after the merger and corporate buyout by Phymatrix. Also at the Georgia Cancer Specialists, Dr. Scott took responsibility for the development of an extensive clinical research program. From 1998 to 2000, he also served as Medical Chief of Staff at Emory Northlake Regional Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Scott's biotechnology experience includes his role as a Consultant to NexStar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Boulder, Colorado. As a consultant to NexStar, Dr. Scott was responsible for assisting and educating the sales force in dealing with physician networks and consulting with investment advisors regarding potential investments in other biotechnology companies. Dr. Scott's educational background includes a B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, a medical education at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, and a fellowship in Oncology at University of Texas Health Sciences, San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Scott has Board Certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine, September 1987, and the American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, November 1989. Dr. Scott has served on the board of directors of Biovest International, Inc. since March 2004.
About AEOL 10150 AEOL 10150 is a broad-spectrum catalytic antioxidant specifically designed to neutralize reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The neutralization of these species reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and subsequent tissue damage-signaling cascades resulting from radiation exposure. AEOL 10150 may have a profound beneficial impact on people who have been exposed, or are about to be exposed, to high-doses of radiation in the treatment of oncology.
AEOL 10150 has performed well in preclinical and non-clinical studies, demonstrating statistically significant survival efficacy in an acute radiation-induced lung injury model, and was well-tolerated in two human clinical trials. The Company believes it could have a profound beneficial impact on people who have been exposed, or are about to be exposed, to high-doses of radiation, whether from cancer therapy or a nuclear event.
About Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Aeolus Pharmaceuticals is developing a platform of a new class of broad-spectrum, catalytic-antioxidant compounds that protect healthy tissue from the damaging effects of radiation. Its first compound, AEOL 10150, is being developed for oncology indications, where it is used in combination with radiation therapy. It is also being developed, with funding by the US Department of Health and Human Services, as a medical countermeasure against chemical and radiological weapons, where its initial target indications are as a protective agent against the effects of acute radiation syndrome and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure. Aeolus' strategy is to leverage the substantial investment in toxicology, manufacturing, and preclinical and clinical studies made by US Government agencies in AEOL 10150, including the contract with BARDA valued, with options, at up to $118.4 million, to efficiently develop the compound for use in oncology. For more information, please visit Aeolus's corporate website at www.aeoluspharma.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that are not purely statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to Aeolus' product candidates, as well as its proprietary technologies and research programs, the Company's potential initiation of large efficacy studies in mice and NHPs, as well as a phase 1 study in healthy normal volunteers, the BARDA Contract, and the expected use of proceeds from the financing. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Aeolus' actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause results to differ include risks associated with uncertainties of progress and timing of clinical trials, scientific research and product development activities, difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, the need to obtain funding for pre-clinical and clinical trials and operations, the scope and validity of intellectual property protection for Aeolus' product candidates, proprietary technologies and their uses, and competition from other biopharmaceutical companies, and whether BARDA exercises one or more additional options under the BARDA Contract. Certain of these factors and others are more fully described in Aeolus' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Aeolus' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2012. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
Contact: Russell Skibsted Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1-(949) 481-9825
