MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CohBar, Inc. (OTCQX:CWBR) (TSXV:COB.U), an innovative biotechnology
company focused on developing mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs) to treat age-related diseases, today announced the appointment
of John M. Amatruda, MD, a CohBar co-founder and scientific advisor, to its board of directors.
“John’s truly unique depth and breadth of knowledge and experience across the medical, scientific, and business aspects of
biotechnology and pharmaceutical development, have been an invaluable resource to CohBar from the beginning,” said Albion
Fitzgerald, CohBar Chairman. “His expertise will be increasingly valuable to us as we approach the clinic with our lead candidate,
expand our pipeline with new mitochondrial peptides, and advance our partnering opportunities. We believe that John’s greater
involvement as a director will significantly enhance our Board’s ability to guide the Company to our strategic goals, and we’re
very happy to be working even more closely with him.”
About Dr. Amatruda
Dr. Amatruda, a CohBar co-founder, has over 25 years of experience as a senior pharmaceutical research executive
and scientific consultant, together with over 40 years of experience in the practice and teaching of medicine. He currently sits on
the board of directors of three biotechnology companies (CureDM, Prosciento, and Fractyl), and is a member of the scientific
advisory boards of eight biotechnology companies. He has also been a consultant and scientific advisor to more than 20 additional
biotechnology and leading pharmaceutical companies since 2009.
As Senior Vice President and Franchise Head for Diabetes and Obesity at Merck Research Laboratories until 2009,
Dr. Amatruda had end-to-end responsibility for drug compounds from target discovery to patent expiration, including basic research,
experimental medicine, clinical development, external alliances and licensing. Prior to being named Franchise Head, Dr. Amatruda
led drug development groups at Merck for diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Under his leadership,
the development program and regulatory approvals of Januvia™ and Janumet™ - the first compounds in the important class of DPP-IV
inhibitors for Type 2 diabetes, and two of Merck’s leading revenue-generating drugs - were successfully initiated and completed,
and worldwide submissions for VytorinTM, JanuviaTM and JanumetTM were filed. Prior to
joining Merck, Dr. Amatruda was Vice President and Therapeutic Area Head for Metabolic Disorders Research at Bayer Corporation for
ten years, where he assisted in the approval of Acarbose, and led the discovery and advancement of several compounds into clinical
development.
Dr. Amatruda has also had a successful career in academic medicine, formerly as a Professor of Medicine at the University of
Rochester School of Medicine, where he was head of the Clinical Research Center and a Principal Investigator on several NIH funded
research projects; and currently as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, where he continues to
see patients in a teaching capacity. In addition, Dr. Amatruda has co-authored over 160 publications, many of which have been
published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and has served as a reviewer for several journals. Dr. Amatruda was educated at Yale
University and The Medical College of Wisconsin, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine and fellowship in
endocrinology and metabolism at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
About CohBar
CohBar (OTCQX:CWBR) (TSXV: COB.U) is an innovative biotechnology company focused on the research and development of mitochondria
based therapeutics (MBTs), an emerging class of drugs for the treatment of age-related diseases. MBTs originate from the discovery
by CohBar’s founders of a novel group of peptides within the mitochondrial genome which regulate metabolism and cell death, and
whose biological activity declines with age. CohBar’s efforts focus on the development of these mitochondrial-derived peptides
(MDPs) into clinically relevant MBTs that offer the potential to address a broad range of age-related diseases with underlying
metabolic dysfunction, including obesity, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular and
neurodegenerative diseases. To date, the Company and its founders have discovered more than 100 MDPs.
For additional company information, please visit www.cohbar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical facts) within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include CohBar’s plans and expectations for its lead
candidate program, including anticipated timing and results of IND-enabling activities and clinical trials; statements regarding
the therapeutic potential of these and other mitochondria based therapeutics, and the potential for additional discoveries, and our
plans and expectations regarding intellectual property protection. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations,
estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those anticipated by CohBar. Such assumptions, risks and uncertainties are described in detail in our registration statements,
reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators, which are
available on our website, and at www.sec.gov or www.sedar.com.
You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ
materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information
contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and CohBar does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or
revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so
required by applicable securities laws.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Investor and Media Contact:
Jon Stern, COO
CohBar, Inc.
(650) 446-7888 ext. 111
jon.stern@cohbar.com
