Polynoma Announces Appointment of New Members to Senior Management Team
<0> Polynoma LLCDr. John Chiplin, 858-752-6001 ext. 101 </0>
Polynoma LLC, a U.S. oncology-focused biotechnology company within Hong Kong-based CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc., today announced the expansion of the Company’s senior leadership team with the appointments of Sara Zaknoen, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Andrew Buckland, Chief Financial Officer and Patrick Mallon, Chief Operating Officer. All three have extensive backgrounds in the life sciences industry and proven track records in development and commercialization.
“Sara, Andrew and Pat each have proven experience and track records that will be invaluable to Polynoma, and we are extremely excited to announce their appointments and the expansion of our management team,” said John Chiplin, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. “This is an exciting stage in Polynoma’s growth. We are continuing to enroll patients into our global Phase III clinical trial of POL 103A, our lead cancer vaccine candidate. These patients have Stage IIb, IIc & III melanoma, for which there currently are no adequate therapies and therefore a substantial unmet need.”
Dr. Zaknoen brings to Polynoma a wealth of experience in pharmaceutical drug development and clinical oncology research. Prior to joining Polynoma, Dr. Zaknoen led Phase 1-3 clinical studies in several senior positions, including Chief Medical Officer for Tragara Pharmaceuticals; Chief Medical Officer at Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Executive Director at Novartis Oncology, and a Director of Clinical Oncology Research at Schering Plough. She also has held positions at the National Cancer Institute, the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and Western Pennsylvania Hospital. Dr. Zaknoen earned a BS degree in Chemistry and Biology from Valparaiso University, and an MD degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Mr. Buckland is an experienced financial executive and has worked in various finance and accounting positions for both public and private companies. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Tissue Sciences and most recently as the Chief Financial Officer of PURE Bioscience – a company that he transitioned to a NASDAQ-listed company. He also held senior financial management positions at United Parcel Service and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Mr. Buckland earned a BA degree (with Honors) from the University of the West of England, and an MBA degree from the University of California, Irvine.
Mr. Mallon has broad-based C-level experience in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and medical device industries for both public and private companies, including Roche, Gen-Probe, Agouron Pharmaceuticals, and most recently at Genpathway, where he served as CEO. He has expertise in the development and commercialization of new technologies and drugs, marketing, licensing, M&A, corporate financings as well as operations. Mr. Mallon earned a BS degree in Medical Technology at the University of Arizona.
Polynoma LLC is a U.S. oncology-focused biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego; and is a subsidiary of CK Life Sciences. Polynoma’s lead product candidate is the therapeutic vaccine POL 103A for the treatment of melanoma. The vaccine has an extensive clinical history, having been safely administered to over 650 patients. The current Phase III trial of POL 103A was initiated based on the results of two randomized controlled Phase II trials that demonstrated strong efficacy and safety data. In addition to melanoma, Polynoma is also planning to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in other cancer indications. For additional information, please visit .
CK Life Sciences Int'l., (Holdings) Inc. is a listed company on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (stock code: 0775). Bearing the mission of improving the quality of life, the Company is engaged in the business of research and development, commercialisation, marketing and sale of health and agriculture related products. CK Life Sciences is a member of the Cheung Kong Group. For additional information, please visit .