Adds Commercial Expertise to Board
SAN DIEGO and TORONTO, Dec. 15,
2014 /CNW/ - Aptose Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX:
APS), a clinical-stage company developing new therapeutics and
molecular diagnostics that target the underlying mechanisms of
cancer, today announced the appointment of Dr. Erich M. Platzer, oncology industry veteran and
venture investor, to the Board of Directors.
"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Platzer to
Aptose's Board of Directors. He brings considerable product
development, clinical trial management, licensing and
commercialization expertise from his career in the pharmaceutical
industry." said William G. Rice,
Ph.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Dr.
Platzer also has a rich background in oncology and hematology from
both the clinical and business perspectives. At a time in which we
are advancing our lead anti-cancer program APTO-253 through
clinical development, Aptose is truly fortunate to benefit from his
involvement and counsel at the Board level."
Dr. Platzer is a board certified physician in
internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology. Previously, Dr.
Platzer was business director of oncology, global strategic
marketing and therapeutic area head of oncology at Roche,
Basel, where he also served as
medical director in oncology and global development project leader.
Dr. Platzer is a director of Swiss Business Angel Groups,
StartAngels and BioBAC and has served as a pharmaceutical industry
expert on the board of directors of multiple biotech companies. Dr.
Platzer co-founded and currently serves as an investment advisor to
HBM Partners AG, a global leader in healthcare investing. At HBM,
he focuses on private equity and venture capital investments in
start-up companies, specifically in the areas of oncology,
inflammatory diseases and CNS. He is the author of more than 35
scientific papers. Dr. Platzer graduated from the Medical School
and the Institute of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology of the
University of Erlangen in 1979, where he later also received the
"Dr. med. habil." (M.D.,Ph.D.). He holds a "Vordiplom" (B.Sc.) in
Mathematics and Physics from the University of Regensburg,
Germany.
Aptose also announced that Brian Underdown, Ph.D., has resigned his seat on
the Aptose Board of Directors. Dr. Underdown is a Managing Director
of Lumira Capital, Investment Management, one of Canada's leading venture capital firms with
offices in both Canada and
the United States. "Dr.
Underdown has faithfully represented Lumira's interest in Aptose,
and he always served Aptose in a thoughtful and constructive
manner," said Dr. Rice. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I
would also like to thank Dr. Underdown for his contributions to
Aptose and the Board."
About Aptose
Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage
biotechnology company committed to discovering and developing
personalized therapies addressing unmet medical needs in oncology.
Aptose is advancing new therapeutics focused on novel cellular
targets on the leading edge of cancer research, coupled with
companion diagnostics to identify the optimal patient population
for our products. The Company's small molecule cancer therapeutics
pipeline includes products designed to provide enhanced efficacy
with existing anti-cancer therapies and regimens without
overlapping toxicities. Aptose Biosciences Inc. is listed on NASDAQ
under the symbol APTO and on the TSX under the symbol APS.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws.
Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements
relating to Aptose's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions
and other statements including words such as "continue", "expect",
"intend", "will", "should", "would", "may", and other similar
expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect
to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are
necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that,
while considered reasonable by us are inherently subject to
significant business, economic, competitive, political and social
uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
described in this press release. Such expressed or implied factors
include, among others: changes in our stock price; our ability to
meet listing requirements; our ability to obtain the capital
required for research and operations; the inherent risks in early
stage drug development including demonstrating efficacy;
development time/cost and the regulatory approval process; the
progress of our clinical trials; our ability to find and enter into
agreements with potential partners; our ability to attract and
retain key personnel; changing market conditions; stock market
volatility; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in our
ongoing quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports
and annual filings with Canadian securities regulators and the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the
section entitled "Risk Factors" in our filings with Canadian
securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission underlying those forward-looking statements prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described
herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of
this press release and we do not intend, and do not assume any
obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as
required by law. We cannot assure you that such statements will
prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements
due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
SOURCE Aptose Biosciences Inc.
PDF available at:
http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2014/12/15/20141215_C9167_DOC_EN_43302.pdf