Accomplished CMO Brings Deep Clinical Drug Development Expertise from Leading Biotech and Pharma Companies
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2019--
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:DCPH), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing key mechanisms of tumor drug resistance, today announced that it has appointed Matthew L. Sherman, M.D. as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Sherman brings over 25 years of experience as a physician-scientist in clinical drug development in oncology and hematology at leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Sherman will be responsible for leading the clinical development and medical affairs strategy for the Company’s pipeline of small molecule drug candidates designed using its proprietary kinase switch control inhibitor platform.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the Deciphera team at this exciting time for our company,” said Steve Hoerter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Deciphera. “Matt’s deep expertise in successfully developing oncology therapeutics will be an incredible asset to Deciphera as we prepare the new drug application, or NDA, for ripretinib and advance our pipeline of novel product candidates. I look forward to working with Matt as we continue our mission to develop important new medicines for the treatment of cancer.”
“Deciphera’s proprietary kinase switch control inhibitor platform has generated a diverse portfolio of product candidates spanning late-stage to preclinical development that are designed to address unmet needs in the treatment of cancer,” said Dr. Sherman. “I am excited to join Deciphera and its impressive leadership team at this pivotal moment for the Company, and I look forward to contributing to its future success.”
From 2006 to 2018, Dr. Sherman served as Chief Medical Officer of Acceleron Pharma, Inc., where he led medical research, clinical operations, biostatistics, data management, clinical pharmacology, medical writing, outsourcing and pharmacovigilance. Before joining Acceleron, Dr. Sherman was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Synta Pharmaceuticals (now Madrigal Pharmaceuticals). Prior to Synta, Dr. Sherman spent over a decade at Wyeth-Ayerst Research/Genetics Institute, where he led the successful submission, positive Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee recommendation, and FDA approval for the first antibody immune-drug conjugate for acute myeloid leukemia. He has published 260 original papers, book chapters, reviews and abstracts, and is listed as an inventor on 13 patents. He currently serves as a director of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Pulmatrix, and NewLink Genetics. He also serves on the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Board of Advisors and Alumni Council. Dr. Sherman received a S.B. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency at Georgetown University Medical Center and fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Sherman is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and has held various academic and teaching positions at Harvard Medical School with corresponding clinical appointments at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
About Deciphera Pharmaceuticals
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of cancer patients by addressing key mechanisms of drug resistance that limit the rate and/or durability of response to existing cancer therapies. Our small molecule drug candidates are directed against an important family of enzymes called kinases, known to be directly involved in the growth and spread of many cancers. We use our deep understanding of kinase biology together with a proprietary chemistry library to purposefully design compounds that maintain kinases in a “switched off” or inactivated conformation. These investigational therapies comprise tumor-targeted agents designed to address therapeutic resistance causing mutations and immuno-targeted agents designed to control the activation of immunokinases that suppress critical immune system regulators, such as macrophages. We have used our platform to develop a diverse pipeline of tumor-targeted and immuno-targeted drug candidates designed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer by improving the quality, rate and/or durability of their responses to treatment.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding efforts to prepare for our planned NDA submission with ripretinib for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors who have failed all currently available therapies, the potential for ripretinib to provide benefit, including, without limitation, in earlier lines of therapy, and the potential to advance our earlier stage pipeline candidates. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to the delay of any current or planned clinical studies or the development of our drug candidates, including ripretinib, our ability to successfully demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our drug candidates including in later-stage studies, the preclinical and clinical results for our drug candidates, which may not support further development of such drug candidates, our ability to timely complete and prepare the information required for and file an NDA for ripretinib, our ability to manage and our reliance on third parties such as our third party drug substance and drug product contract manufacturers, actions of regulatory agencies, any or all of which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical studies and the timing of and our ability to obtain regulatory approval, if at all, and make our investigational drugs available to patients, and other risks identified in our SEC filings, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, and subsequent filings with the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. We explicitly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
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Source: Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Jen Robinson
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
jrobinson@deciphera.com
781-906-1112
Media:
David Rosen
Argot Partners
David.Rosen@argotpartners.com
212-600-1902
