SAN DIEGO, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Christine A. White, M.D. was appointed to its board of directors. Dr. White is Arena’s seventh independent director and brings significant development and regulatory experience to its board.
Dr. White was with Biogen Idec from 1996 to 2005, where she held several senior positions, most recently as Senior Vice President, Global Medical Affairs. At Biogen Idec, Dr. White played a key role in the clinical development, regulatory affairs and commercialization of both Rituxan(R) and Zevalin(R). From 1994 to 1996, Dr. White served as the Director of Clinical Oncology Research at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in San Diego and from 1984 to 1994, Dr. White held various positions in the Department of Medicine at Scripps Memorial Hospitals in San Diego, most recently as Chairman, Department of Medicine.
“Dr. White’s insight as a clinician and her regulatory and development experience will greatly assist in the continued advancement of Arena’s diverse drug candidate pipeline,” stated Jack Lief, Arena’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We welcome her leadership and expertise and look forward to working with her as we strive to achieve long-term success.”
Dr. White currently serves on the board of directors at Pharmacyclics, Inc. Dr. White is also a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology and the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer.
Dr. White has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles and currently serves on several editorial boards, including Journal of Immunotherapy and Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceutical.
Dr. White received her medical degree from the University of Chicago and is Board certified in both Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.
About Arena Pharmaceuticals
Arena is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing its research and development efforts on small molecule drugs in four major therapeutic areas: metabolic, central nervous system, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Arena has a broad pipeline of compounds targeting an important class of drug targets called G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, using its knowledge of GPCRs and its technologies, including CART(TM) and Melanophore. Arena has four internally discovered, clinical-stage drug candidates for major diseases. The most advanced, lorcaserin, is under investigation for the treatment of obesity. Arena’s lead drug candidate for the treatment of insomnia, APD125, is a compound with a novel mechanism of action. Arena also has two clinical-stage collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies: Merck & Co., Inc. and Ortho-McNeil, Inc.
Arena Pharmaceuticals(R) and Arena(R) are registered service marks of the company. CART(TM) is an unregistered service mark of the company. “APD” is an abbreviation for Arena Pharmaceuticals Development.
Rituxan(R) is a registered trademark of Genentech. Zevalin(R) is a registered trademark of Biogen Idec.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements that are not historical facts about the advancement of Arena’s pipeline and expectations. For such statements, Arena claims the protection of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual events or results may differ materially from Arena’s expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, Arena’s planned clinical trials may not proceed at the time or in the manner Arena expects or at all, the results of preclinical studies or clinical trials may not be predictive of future results, the timing, success and cost of Arena’s research and development, Arena’s ability to partner lorcaserin, APD125 or other of its compounds or programs, Arena’s ability to obtain additional financing, Arena’s ability to obtain and defend its patents, and the timing and receipt of payments and fees, if any, from Arena’s collaborators. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by Arena’s forward-looking statements are disclosed in Arena’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent Arena’s judgment as of the time of this release. Arena disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as may be required under applicable law.
Contacts: Jack Lief Carolyn Wang President and CEO WeissComm Partners Media Relations David Walsey 415.946.1065 Director, Corporate Communications Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 858.453.7200, ext. 1682
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Jack Lief, President and CEO, or David Walsey, Director,Corporate Communications, both of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,+1-858-453-7200, ext. 1682; or Media Relations, Carolyn Wang of WeissCommPartners, +1-415-946-1065, for Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Web site: http://www.arenapharm.com/
