CORAL GABLES, Fla., Oct. 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPRX) (Catalyst Pharmaceuticals), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating diseases, announced the appointment of David J. Caponera to the newly created position, vice president, patient advocacy and reimbursement, effective immediately. Mr. Caponera will report to David D. Muth, executive vice president, corporate development.
As vice president, patient advocacy and reimbursement, Mr. Caponera will be responsible for developing the strategy and managing Catalyst's patient advocacy programs, reimbursement and patient assistant initiatives.
"We are delighted to have David join the Catalyst Team," said Mr. Muth. "His extensive experience in rare diseases and orphan drugs coupled with his outstanding relationships within the patient advocacy space will be a valuable resource to both the Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) community and Catalyst."
"I am excited to join Catalyst as it advances Firdapse™ towards FDA approval and hopefully bring this breakthrough therapy to the LEMS community," stated Mr. Caponera. "Additionally, I look forward to building a team that will provide superior patient assistance support services."
Mr. Caponera has over 30 years of successful healthcare experience ranging from clinical development, managing payer operations, extensive orphan drug product launches and implementing reimbursement and patient advocacy programs, with the last 15 years focused on rare diseases and orphan products. He most recently served as the Vice President, Patient Advocacy and Reimbursement for Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he established and built its patient advocacy and patient assistance organizations for the launch of Juxtapid™ the company's first ultra–rare disease product. Prior to that he was the Director, Access Services for Pfizer, Inc., where he developed a global patient access network for the launch of ELELYSO™ for ultra–rare Gaucher disease. He also served as Senior Director of Reimbursement and Distribution for Amicus Therapeutics, Inc., Vice President, Strategic Initiatives for Theracom, Inc., and Senior Director, Patient and Product Services for Genzyme Corporation. At Genzyme he led the case management functions for multiple orphan products, developed the reimbursement and patient management programs for two new product launches and directed the customer services functions. In addition, Mr. Caponera has held positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as Product Manager for Managed Care and Harvard Community Health Plan (now Harvard Pilgrim Health Care).
Mr. Caponera holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in biology and a master's degree in health administration from Duke University.
About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating diseases, including Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), infantile spasms, and Tourette Syndrome. Catalyst's lead candidate, Firdapse™ for the treatment of LEMS, recently completed testing in a global, multi-center, pivotal Phase 3 trial and announced positive top-line data. Firdapse™ for the treatment of LEMS, has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Firdapse™ is the first and only European approved drug for symptomatic treatment in adults with LEMS.
Catalyst is also developing a potentially safer and more potent vigabatrin analog (designated CPP-115) to treat infantile spasms, and epilepsy, as well as other neurological conditions associated with reduced GABAergic signaling, like post-traumatic stress disorder and Tourette Syndrome. CPP-115 has been granted U.S. orphan drug designation for the treatment of infantile spasms by the FDA and has been granted E.U. orphan medicinal product designation for the treatment of West Syndrome by the European Commission.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Catalyst's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. A number of factors, including whether the receipt of breakthrough therapy designation for Firdapse™ will expedite the development and review of Firdapse™ by the FDA or the likelihood that the product will be found to be safe and effective, whether an NDA for Firdapse™ will ever be accepted for filing by the FDA, the timing of any such NDA filing or acceptance, whether Catalyst will be the first company to receive an approval for amifampridine 3,4-DAP, giving it 7-year marketing exclusivity for its product, whether any of Catalyst's product candidates will ever be approved for commercialization or successfully commercialized, and those other factors described in Catalyst's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2013 and its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Catalyst. Copies of Catalyst's filings with the SEC are available from the SEC, may be found on Catalyst's website or may be obtained upon request from Catalyst. Catalyst does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.
CONTACT: Investor Contacts
Brian Korb
The Trout Group LLC
(646) 378-2923
bkorb@troutgroup.com
Company Contact
Patrick J. McEnany
Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer
(305) 529-2522
pmcenany@catalystpharma.com
Media Contacts
David Schull
Matt Middleman, M.D.
Russo Partners
(212) 845-4271
(212) 845-4272
david.schull@russopartnersllc.com
matt.middleman@russopartnersllc.com
