On May 7, 2019 CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs) to treat age-related diseases and extend healthy lifespan, reported that it has appointed Steven B. Engle as its Chief Executive Officer, effective May 15, 2019 (Press release, CohBar, MAY 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234535845]). CohBar’s interim Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philippe Calais will continue to serve on the company’s Board, a position he has held since June 2018.
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"Steven is a highly accomplished healthcare executive, and we are very happy to have him leading the CohBar team at this important time in the company’s evolution," said Albion J. Fitzgerald, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "With our phase 1a/1b clinical trial of CB4211 in NASH and obesity, and our expanding pipeline of mitochondrial-derived peptides that hold great promise as a new class of novel therapeutics, we believe we are well positioned to become a leader in the development of therapeutics to treat a broad range of age-related diseases. We expect that Steven’s extensive experience in drug discovery, development and commercialization, together with his track record of executing value-creating strategic transactions, will be instrumental in leading the company toward achieving our corporate and clinical goals."
"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Philippe for his dedication, contributions and leadership during this transition. We look forward to his continued contributions as a valued member of our Board," Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.
"I am very pleased to be working with the CohBar Board, executive management and the broader team to realize the company’s vision to develop mitochondria based therapeutics that treat chronic diseases with underlying metabolic dysfunction," commented Mr. Engle. "This is an exciting time for CohBar, and I look forward to our advancing the company’s novel pipeline through value-creating milestones."
Steven Engle has over 20 years of executive leadership experience with public biotech companies developing breakthrough products in metabolic, autoimmune, oncologic and infectious disease areas. Before joining CohBar, Mr. Engle served for seven years as CEO of Averigon Consulting, an advisory firm to the life science industry, supporting companies through product partnering, regulatory planning, investor relations and executive management. Previously, he served for four years as Chairman and CEO of XOMA Corporation, a leader in therapeutic antibodies and antibody technologies. Prior to XOMA, Mr. Engle served for fourteen years as Chairman and CEO of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, which discovered the biology of B cell tolerance, developed the first B cell toleragen for lupus patients, and received an approvable letter from the FDA. Earlier, he also served as Vice President of Marketing for Cygnus, Inc., a drug delivery systems company, where he helped to gain FDA approval and to launch Nicotrol for smoking cessation.
Mr. Engle is Chairman of the Board of Prescient Therapeutics Ltd., a clinical stage oncology company, and also serves on the Boards of Author-it Software Corporation, and AROA Biosurgery Ltd. He is a former director of BIO, BayBio and BIOCOM, and served on the board of the Lupus Foundation of America. Mr. Engle holds M.S.E.E. and B.S.E.E. degrees from the University of Texas with a focus in biomedical engineering.
About CB4211
CohBar’s lead program is based on CB4211, a first-in-class mitochondria based therapeutic (MBT) that has demonstrated significant therapeutic potential in preclinical models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and obesity. CB4211 is a novel and improved analog of MOTS-c, a naturally occurring mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) which was discovered in 2012 by CohBar founder Dr. Pinchas Cohen and his academic collaborators and has been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of metabolism. In July 2018, CB4211 entered a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial which includes a potential activity readout relevant to NASH and obesity. In November 2018, the company announced the temporary suspension of the trial to address mild injection site reactions that were unexpectedly persistent, and announced the anticipated resumption of the clinical trial in May 2019. NASH has been estimated to affect as many as 12% of adults in the U.S., and there is currently no approved treatment for the disease.