Merrimack Announces Appointment of George Demetri, M.D., to Board of Directors
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MACK) today announced the addition of George Demetri, M.D., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician-scientist faculty member at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), to its Board of Directors. Dr. Demetri, a world-renowned expert in the clinical translation of innovative treatment strategies for cancer, replaces John Mendelsohn, M.D., who is retiring from the Board.
"We are extremely pleased to add Dr. Demetri to our Board and know we will benefit enormously from his vast clinical development experience as we advance our deep clinical and preclinical pipeline of novel therapies for cancer," said Gary Crocker, Chairman of the Board of Merrimack. "We would like to thank Dr. Mendelsohn for his many contributions to our success since he joined the Merrimack Board in 2012, and are grateful for his invaluable insights."
Dr. Demetri leads a multidisciplinary team at the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center focused on developing novel therapies for solid tumors, with an emphasis on sarcomas. His research and clinical interests have centered on mechanism-based drug development for solid tumors, and he has contributed to the development of numerous approved therapies, including Gleevec (imatinib), Sutent (sunitinib), Stivarga (regorafenib), Zelboraf (vemurafenib) and Votrient (pazopanib), as well as other new targeted therapies in development. He received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine, after which he completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington Hospitals in Seattle and a fellowship in medical oncology at DFCI. He also serves on the Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board of Blueprint Medicines (NASDAQ: BPMC).
"I am very excited for the opportunity to join the Merrimack Board and help the company fulfill its mission of outthinking cancer by targeting biomarker-defined cancers," said Dr. Demetri. "I believe that Merrimack is well-positioned to advance cancer care for patients in need through its focused approach to drug development."
About Merrimack
Merrimack is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that is outthinking cancer to ensure that patients and their families live fulfilling lives. Its mission is to transform cancer care through the smart design and development of targeted solutions based on a deep understanding of cancer pathways and biological markers. All of Merrimack's development programs, including four clinical studies and six candidates in preclinical development, fit into its strategy of 1) understanding the biological problems it is trying to solve, 2) designing specific solutions and 3) developing those solutions for biomarker-selected patients. This three-pronged strategy seeks to ensure optimal patient outcomes. For more information, please visit Merrimack's website at www.merrimack.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Merrimack constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Merrimack anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Merrimack may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Merrimack specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.
Contact:
Geoffrey Grande, CFA
617-441-7602
ggrande@merrimack.com
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SOURCE Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
